


What Are The Odds?

by NicktheHuman



Series: Odds Universe [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:01:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 71,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26454565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicktheHuman/pseuds/NicktheHuman
Summary: The research notes of Matsuda Yasuke indicated that his memory erasure procedure has a success rate of approximately 99.9999%.How lucky or unlucky would someone have to be to wake up, realize their classmates didn't remember him, and that one of his friends is impersonating someone else? Can the knowledge help Makoto save anyone? Or will he fall in the face of Ultimate Despair? And what will Mukuro do when torn between the only two people she cares about?(Final chapter is a bonus smut chapter)
Relationships: Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura, Ikusaba Mukuro/Naegi Makoto, Kuwata Leon/Maizono Sayaka
Series: Odds Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2191473
Comments: 199
Kudos: 333





	1. Margin of Error

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to another humble alternate universe!

From an objective lens, most people would say that Mukuro Ikusaba’s life was awful. For the first ten years of her life, she had been conditioned to give everything she had to make her younger twin, Junko, happy. Things only worsened when their parents died. 

For most of those ten years, Junko had burned horrible, degrading words into Mukuro’s mind until they were etched into them forever. Useless. Ugly. Fat. Stupid. She believed with every fiber of her being that she was the very essence of these things, because Junko said so.

As they got older, the words only got worse, and more vulgar. But the words made Mukuro happy; if Junko was saying them to her, Junko at least was paying attention to her. If Junko was actively trying to kill her, Mukuro’s reflexes must be being tested so she could stay sharp and useful for her sister. 

Other things developed as they got older as well, including their Ultimate Talents; Junko being the Ultimate Analyst, and Mukuro being the Ultimate Soldier. From someone on the outside, they appeared to be a perfect team of brains and brawns. In a sense, they weren’t wrong. Junko was the planner, and could use Mukuro to unleash hell on anyone, and none would be the wiser. 

Of course, the onlookers had no idea about Junko’s fetish for despair. Which is why Junko decided to sell her sister to a mercenary group when they were eleven. See, as twisted as it was, Junko truly believed she did love Mukuro... so being alone was as despairful as it could get at that age. 

It was a gamble that Junko couldn’t lose, really. Either her sister died in battle, leaving her utterly and truly alone, which was despairing enough... or she would be turned into a horrible killing machine that Junko could just use more. 

Of course, when Mukuro returned, Junko made sure to pick up right where she left off. “Wow sis, I didn’t think you could get any uglier, then you put some gross wolf on the back of your hand.” 

Mukuro missed her sister and was glad to have things back to normal. And because someone as fat, ugly, and useless as her could help her beloved sister, she thought she was happy. Thought being the keyword, of course.

At the behest of her sister, she accepted a position at Hope’s Peak. “As much as I’ll hate being disappointed by you every day, but your ugly ass face and skills might actually help me cause despair," Junko had said. Mukuro didn’t mind the insult, because it meant she could make her sister happy.

Turns out teenage life was a hard adjustment for someone who only knew the battlefield. Every slamming locker made her want to grab the combat knife sewn into the hem of her skirt. 

In certain stories, this girl might find a boy, fall in love, and find happiness. But that doesnt work, because her sister is Junko Enoshima. It makes matters complicated.

Although, somehow, miraculously, she still managed to fall in love. She remembered it plainly, because it was the first time in her life she had realized the sky was blue, the breeze felt good, and that the world outside Junko existed at all. 

She was not to advertise their kinship, so her and Junko would arrive at school at different times. As Mukuro left her dorm, she realized she would probably be late. On that particular day, one of her classmates was late too. She already had performed reconnaissance on all of her classmates, though Junko had details that could only come from her analysis. 

On that day, she saw Makoto Naegi running towards the door too. She’d seen him a few times; average boy, with average hobbies, average grades. Because he was chosen for the school via lottery, it didn’t take Junko’s power of Analysis to see he had low self-esteem and confidence issues around the other Ultimates. Because of this, he was a people pleaser.

And until that moment, Mukuro wrote him off as just that. She was an insignificant tool, and people treated her as such. No one spoke to her, and the class barely so much as looked at her. And he was just another insignificant classmate, a speck, a face in the crowd.

But as he hurried toward the door just in front of her, he paused, even in his rush, and held the door for her. He looked at her dead in the eyes, which made Mukuro pause. That only happened on the battlefield. Should she reach for her gun?

Instead though, Makoto gave her the brightest smile she had ever seen in her life. Of course, she had only seen them in the context of other people. No one had ever smiled at her, especially not Junko. 

“Good morning, Mukuro,” Makoto said as he beamed.

Something... weird happened to Mukuro. Her knees shook. Her breath caught in her throat. Her face turned red and her heart started beating rapidly. 

“Uh... Good morning... Makoto,” She said, barely above a whisper.

“Looks like we’re both kind of late,” He said, still smiling sheepishly as the two walked inside. “I had some more rotten luck this morning. My alarm got shut off.” 

Mukuro was late because Junko had placed some angry geese in her room this morning that the soldier had to kill, in order to reclaim the territory. She couldn’t tell Makoto that, of course, so she just said, “yeah, me too.” 

“Wow, what are the odds,” he laughed. 

It was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard.  
\------  
That was, of course, a long time ago. And ever since, she couldn’t help but pine for Makoto from afar. She also would make sure he didn’t suffer as much from his luck. She would catch him when he fell, and one time saved him from a falling locker. His dropped books were always caught before they hit the ground, and he was left without a scratch.

Junko loved nothing more than to torment her sister over it. “Why don’t you go talk to him?” She would heckle her sister. “I mean, no one would ever want a murder slut like you. But he’s such a pushover. I bet you could just pick him up over your shoulder, bring him to your dorm and have your way with him. Can you imagine his despair? Forcibly losing his virginity to _you._ ” 

The suggestion would always make Mukuro turn scarlet and withdraw into herself.

“Aw come on, don’t give me the shy, reclusive schtick?” Junko cackled. “Where’s the murder happy psycho?” 

This was always the general reaction she got back at the dorms.

Then, when the Tragedy happened, it got worse.

These conversations happened quite often during the full year the students of Hope’s Peak were locked in the school. Junko just had all the more time to needle her sister. 

“Come on sis, you don’t want him to die a virgin, right?” Junko laughed, mere nights before she wanted to enact the plan for the Killing Game. “You should make him fall in love with you. Then when he forgets you, you’ll be full of despair like me.”

It became that much harder to avoid Makoto when they lived in such close proximity for so long. 

She tried to stay dedicated to her sister. And by all means, she succeeded, but she couldn’t help but grow more and more attached to Makoto Naegi as well. Every morning, he would greet her as she walked into the dining hall with a wide smile. He would pat the seat next to him if it was free, as to invite her to sit with him. 

Even at her most withdrawn, he would sit and talk patiently with her. It was the most special, absolute best part of her day, and it made her feel so guilty as though she were betraying Junko.  
\------  
“Is this... restless for you?” He asked her, out of the blue, one day.

“Isn’t it for all of us?” She responded. “We’re all stuck here.”

“I know but...” He screwed up his face, trying to think of the words. “You’re a fighter. You’re strong. Maybe even...” He leaned forward to whisper, so, instinctively, she leaned in to hear him (she never would have done this for anyone else), “even stronger than Sakura. I just... thought it might be hardest for you to be stuck in here instead of out there, trying to stop it.”

Mukuro’s chest twisted with relentless guilt. Makoto, in his naivete, always saw the best potential in people. So to him, he saw Mukuro as someone who could be a hero, out there stopping the Tragedy. 

How much despair would it give him to know that the Tragedy was her fault?

Junko loved the idea. 

It made Mukuro miserable.

She put on a neutral face and shrugged to Makoto. “Even as the Ultimate Soldier, I have my limits. As hard as it is, this is for the best.”

To her surprise, he still gave her that million-watt smile. “You’re right. Thanks Mukuro.”

Every time he said her name, the world turned. “For what?” She asked.

“Seeing your resolve makes me want to be stronger too.” He replied, finishing his breakfast and standing up. “See you later.” He paused. “Hey, me and Kyoko were playing billiards later if you want to come.”

The irony, she thought woefully. For Makoto to see her as a pillar of strength, when he was the one constantly talking to all his classmates, keeping their spirits up and hope ignited in their hearts. 

She wasn’t sure she could put it into words, but he had a strength she coveted. If she had it, maybe she wouldn’t live under the thumb of Junko. 

She joined them later, and was able to save Makoto from getting pelted by the eight ball. He said she was a kind, wonderful person.

It felt like a knife in the gut.  
\------  
Which brings us to the present: after a year of communal living, Junko had filled the dorms with sleeping gas. Everything was ready for the Mutual Killing School Life. One by one, all the players were brought to the bio lab.

Junko read the notes of Matsuda Yasuke to Mukuro, who carefully placed electrode cups precisely as instructed onto each student. A light shock and a few chemicals was all it took to erase two years worth of memories. Despite what had happened to the Ultimate Neurologist, Mukuro had to admit he had known his stuff.

The last student to undergo the procedure was... Makoto Naegi. 

Even in his sleep, Mukuro could feel like he knew she was betraying him in some way.

But even if they were friends, they friends under false pretenses. 

Still, she felt horrible as she placed the last cup on his forehead.

“You know, he’s totally helpless right now,” Junko snickered, as she prepared the injection. “You want to cop a feel, sis? Go on. See if he got lucky with his package.” 

Mukuro frowned. “Are there any side effects to this procedure?”

Junko jabbed the needle at Mukuro, who swatted her wrist away easily. “Party pooper. And no. It will just erase your boy toy’s memories. The success rate is 99.9999%, and I calculated the dosage. He won’t even remember your name.”

The soldier said nothing as Junko injected Naegi.

That night, she got ready to impersonate her sister, and wondered what it would be like to live in a world where Makoto Naegi and her class didn’t know her.  
\------  
Makoto Naegi woke up in a classroom. Immediately, he knew this was not right or normal, and it put him on edge.

He had fallen asleep in his dorm room. Just like he had for the last year at Hope’s Peak. 

Maybe he had developed a sleep walking issue?

Yes, that seemed like his luck, he figured. Looking at the time, wondering if it was almost time for breakfast in the dining hall. 

He walked out of the classroom through the hall, hoping he hadn’t done anything embarrassing. But as he walked past the entrance hall, Kiyotaka emerged from the by the door, and commanded, “You! You’re late! We’re supposed to meet in entrance hall!” 

“Oh, sorry, Taka,” Makoto yawned.

“Hey, how did you know my name!” Taka barked back with authoritative point. 

Makoto furrowed his brow. This was different. “We’re classmates, of course I know your name.”

Kiyotaka laughed. “I see! You researched your classmates before coming to the school. It’s always good to be prepared. That’s why you shouldn’t be late!”

He grabbed Makoto’s hand and pulled him into the entrance hall. 

There, Makoto saw all of his classmates. Unlike the usual chatter from the group he’d come to know, none of them were talking to each other. Everyone was just looking around quietly.

Wait....

It took a second for Makoto to realize he couldn’t find Mukuro. Sometimes this was normal, he knew his friend to be someone who didn’t always want to be around crowds and keep to herself.

But then his eyes scanned over Junko and he did a double take.

 _That’s not Junko, that’s Mukuro._ He realized. He looked between the students and wondered if anyone noticed. He supposed with the wig, that maybe Mukuro could fool someone who didn’t know, but he’d think at least Kyoko or Byakuya would have noticed the switch. _Then again, Byakuya doesn’t really pay attention to anyone but himself..._

 _And if the real Junko isn’t here, where is she?_ He wondered. He figured he might as well go ask Mukuro, when Kiyotaka loudly suggested, “Alright, perhaps we should all introduce ourselves to each other while we wait! That seems like an acceptable thing to do in this situation.”

Makoto locked up at the words. “Introduce ourselves?” He muttered to himself. 

He scanned the room. Someone was going to point how how ridiculous this was, right? Mondo would say something to his good friend like, ‘bro, you’re a fucking riot,’ or something like that, surely. 

Instead, he watched as Aoi and Sakura introduced themselves to each other like they had never met each other. Makoto’s jaw nearly dropped; those two were practically inseparable.

“You seem confused,” a voice said from behind him, making him jump.

It was Kyoko. “Y-yeah, a little bit,” he admitted. 

“I think that’s understandable, in this situation. Everyone here says they have the same circumstances. They arrived to begin their courses at Hope’s Peak, then they lost consciousness, waking up amongst the school.” Kyoko advised, rubbing her chin. “Are those the same circumstances for you as well?”

This struck Makoto as especially odd; Kyoko would never work under an assumption. She was more careful than that. Almost as if she had noticed it too, she looked down. “No, I phrased that wrong. Anyway. My name is Kyoko Kirigiri.” 

Makoto knew this was strange, but something in his gut told him that he should play along. Something weird was going on, and if no one could remember him, maybe raising red flags wasn’t the best thing to do. 

“I’m Makoto Naegi,” he said, cautiously. 

She nodded courteously. “If you don’t want the other’s to be suspicious of you, I wouldn’t stare so fervently at the girls.”

Makoto’s cheeks tinged pink. “Right.” 

_Does no one really remember me?_ He thought in a melancholy tone. 

His feet carried him over to Sayaka. They had become such close friends over the last two years; she saw him as a familiar face when she came to Hope’s Peak, and they had bonded.

She saw him approach, and gave him her usual smile. “Hi, I’m Sayaka Maizono.”

That confirmed it; even though they went to middle school together, they had never talked until entering Hope’s Peak. “Hey, I’m Makoto Naegi.” 

Makoto politely listened as each student introduced themselves, remembering just how imposing and intimidating his friends were when they first met. He walked over to Mukuro last, hoping he could whisper something to her about her disguise, but an announcement rang through the monitors all over the walls, calling them to the gym. 

Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Headmaster Kirigiri in some time. The voice on the PA didn’t sound like him though.

Nervously, he followed his classmates to the gym. _What's going on?_


	2. Friend or Foe?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the students are advised they will participate in a school life of Mutual Killing, Makoto looks for answers from the only source he knows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kind reviews! Here's some more Naekusaba. And Angst!

At the gym, they were surprised by a living, talking teddy bear that, in short, instructed them to participate in the School Life of Mutual Killing. 

It was a lot to absorb; a talking teddy bear named Monokuma, a school they could never leave, and backs put against the wall to kill. Things only got more surreal when the bear self-destructed, almost killing Mondo with it.

As astounded as everyone was, as they objected to their orders to kill each other to graduate, Makoto couldn’t help but ponder why everyone’s memories were erased for such a thing. They could be forced into a situation like this with their memories. 

They had already been trapped in the school for a year; but Monokuma was talking as though they had just arrived at Hope’s Peak. 

_Why? Why take away that distinction? Why take away the memories? Why not just lock away all the food? Or take away something else? Why something like memories?_ He kept asking himself.

One by one, the students filtered out to go explore the school and report their findings. 

The last two in the gym were Makoto Naegi and Mukuro, disguised as Junko. Makoto was about to call out to her, but then he noticed the security cameras set up around the gym. 

Those weren’t there the last time he was in the gym. He got a bad chill down his spine and decided he would try and talk to her in a more private location. Whatever situation he was in, something had gone wrong, and he needed to be exceedingly careful. 

But as the two left the gym, there were no private locations; there were cameras and monitors lined up in every room. 

He had an idea. “Hey, M - Junko.” He caught himself, but even as he did, he saw Mukuro flinch. “I’m going to check the laundry room for clues, want to come with me?” 

It took Mukuro a second to answer, “Ew, you’re like, not trying to score with me, are you Makoto?” 

Makoto’s eyes widened, cheeks flushing. That was so... unlike Mukuro. She was usually quiet and reserved. But her voice sounded nothing like Junko’s. Despite the change in tone, he could easily recognize it as Mukuro trying to imitate Junko’s voice. The result was that it sounded halfway between the two, and unrecognizable as either. “No, of course not. Just can’t be too careful, you know?” 

“Well, what if I was dangerous?” 

That question sounded a bit more like Mukuro. Makoto remembered the first time he and her had sat together after the Tragedy.  
\--------------------------------  
_  
Makoto had accidentally gotten up an hour early, due to some bad luck with his alarm clock. Still, his stomach rumbled and he decided to get up for some food at the dining hall._

_It had only been two weeks since the school went on lockdown, but the walk in the darkened halls wasn’t any easier. He missed seeing his parents and sister on the weekends. He missed the feeling of the sunshine on his face._

_As he entered the kitchen, he made himself a simple omelette and rice. He was not a bad cook by any means, but he didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Although he somehow accidentally made too much._

_As he walked back to the dining hall, he was surprised to see Mukuro walk in. “Good morning, Mukuro!”_

_She didn’t convey emotions as strongly as Makoto did, but her eyebrows raised slightly to convey surprise. “Good morning, Makoto,” she replied, shifting her eyes to the side. “Um... you’re up early.”_

_“Ha... alarm trouble,” he replied, rubbing his neck sheepishly. “What about you?”_

_“I don’t like to eat in large groups,” she replied. “That’s why I wake before the others.”_

_“Oh, that’s why I don’t see you until after breakfast,” Makoto nodded. Suddenly, he gave her a bright, enthusiastic smile. “Maybe I was really lucky today then!”_

_“Why would you say that?” She asked, tilting her head to the side._

_“Well, I get to have a nice breakfast with my friend,” He beamed. “You want some omelette? I made too much. Hey, are you okay? Your face is a bit red. Do you feel alright?”_

_Mukuro’s turned her scarlet face down slightly, hoping her bangs would hide her embarrassment. “Um... I-I feel fine. I’ll have some egg, sure.”_

_The two sat down across from each other and began to eat._

_“I’m glad we got to do this,” he said, happily. “You’re always doing such nice things for me, I hope this lets me repay you at least a little.”_

_Ikusaba stared at the egg on her plate so Makoto couldn’t see how much he was wriggling under her skin. “It’s nothing.”_

_“I don’t think it’s nothing,” he retorted. “You literally caught me when I fell off the third step the other day.” His grin returned. “You’re really strong.”_

_“I’m dangerous.” She said._

_Dangerous was the only adjective Junko allowed Mukuro to have that wasn’t synonymous with useless._

_“I’m only strong from years of war. Years of death and bloodshed.”_

_She allowed herself to glance up at Makoto, expecting him to be scared or taken aback._

_Instead, he was still smiling at her, though his expression softened. “Well, it’s true you’re a soldier. You’ve seen stuff I can’t even imagine. But moreso than that, you’re my friend, and you’ve always been kind to me. I’ve never felt scared around you. If anything, you make me feel safe to have around. So I appreciate you.”_

_Makoto barely heard the, “thank you,” that escaped Mukuro’s lips. It was almost inaudible._

_She started joining him and the others in the dining hall at the normal time after that.  
_  
\-------  
Makoto looked at the Mukuro in front of him now, in her disguise. “Well, if you are dangerous, all the better to keep you around if we run into trouble.” He offered her a smile.

Little did he know, Mukuro couldn’t say no to it. “Alright, Makoto. You win.”

The two walked to the laundry room, passing Chihiro on the way. The Programmer looked scared and turned away from the two.

It struck Makoto that if they reset, or lost memories, that no one else would know Chihiro was a male. _It was so hard for him to tell us all... I’d hate to have to see him go through that again._

Pushing the thought aside, Makoto was thankful the laundry room was empty. Mukuro jumped as the Ultimate Lucky Student ran forward and quickly turned on each machine, making a loud racket throughout the room. 

“What are you...?” She asked, but she froze, as Makoto looked at her with eyes full of resolve and determination. It was a look he didn’t have often, but when he did, she knew he would not back down. 

“Mukuro.” He said, just barely audible above the noise of the machines.

Her eyes widened. 

This was not the plan. 

She didn’t know what to say, so Makoto continued, “Why are you dressed like Junko?”

Mukuro looked around, and said loudly, “Nothing here, Makoto, let’s look somewhere else.” 

As she said that, she had a look on her face that told Makoto not to say anything else. 

She turned on her heel and left the laundry room, Makoto in pursuit. To his surprise, she led to the bathhouse area. Hesitantly, he followed her in

It became clear why she chose that room; it was the only room without a camera or monitor.

As he followed her in, Mukuro whipped around, eyes steely and blank. The air around her seemed to chill, and Makoto, for the first time he had ever known her, paused. Maybe this was the aura she gave off on the battlefield, able to instill fear into others. He refused to fear her though; this was the Mukuro he had grown close to over the last two years.

“How did you know it was me?” She asked. Her voice was harsh, and abrasive; which was another tone Makoto had not heard from her.

“Mukuro,” he said, slowly, “we’ve been living here at Hope’s Peak for a year. Of course I’d recognize you, even if you’re dressed as Junko. Junko doesn’t have cute freckles, like you do.” His expression turned sheepish. “Sorry, that was a bit much, wasn’t it? M-my bad.”

Mukuro’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed pink. Not a single soul had ever regarded any feature of hers as cute. _Focus, can't get flustered now._

Makoto wasn’t able to read her expression. “Do you... not remember either? ... No... that doesn’t explain why you’re dressed as Junko.” 

Mukuro tried to improvise, think of some excuse, but Makoto continued. “If you had the same problem as the others, you’d know your name and still dress and act as yourself. No one’s personalities changed; they just think it’s two years ago. If you’re pretending to be Junko...”

She could feel a cold sweat on her back. _Makoto could ruin everything. All of Junko’s hard work._

“Is Junko... controlling Monokum-ACK!” He grunted as Mukuro lifted him by the collar and slammed him against a locker. 

Their eyes met as she held him off the ground.

For the first time, Makoto was looking at Mukuro with fear in his eyes. An invisible knife twisted in Mukuro’s chest and stomach. Remorse and guilt filled her being, but she tried to swallow it down. 

The two stayed like that, for some time. “So... I’m right.” Makoto said, glumly, the fear in his gaze giving away to sadness. “Can you tell me... why you’re working with her?”

Steadily, Mukuro replied. “Junko is my sister. We never told anyone.”

His eyes widened. “What? Why?”

The soldier grit her teeth. Makoto was an obstacle. A problem. An issue in the game that could ruin everything. She should kill him, just like Junko would want, had told her to do. It would be easy. Her mind went through at least one dozen ways to do that from this position alone.

But it was Makoto. Mukuro could not bring herself to hurt Makoto, and she felt worthless for it. “That’s not important.” She answered. 

“How can it not be?” Makoto replied, eyes regaining some of that steely resolve. “How could you two have taken everyone’s memories? Mukuro, she wants us all to kill each other! Are you really okay with this? What’s there to gain?”

“We knocked out everyone,” Mukuro replied, grimly. “With gas. The procedure was developed by the Ultimate Neurologist, Matsuda Yasuke. It’s actually simple, and, supposedly, works with 99.9999% accuracy.”

“So I’m the 0.0001%?” Makoto groaned. “Figures. Lucky me.”

“As far as your other questions... this is all in the name of Junko’s despair.” 

“Desp - what?" He asked, voice raising in pitch as he asked, confused. "What does that even mean?”

“Junko isn’t the Ultimate Fashionista, Makoto,” Mukuro explained. Part of her didn’t even know why she was. Maybe to delay the inevitable. “She’s the Ultimate Despair. Some would say she has a despair compulsion or despair fetish. But while this may be true, it’s deeper than that. She exists only to try and feel - and spread - despair.”

Makoto’s eyes widened. “But that... that’s the same as!”

“Yes,” Mukuro sighed, “The Biggest, Most Awful Tragedy... was orchestrated by Junko. That's why everything happens in the name of despair.”

Makoto absorbed the words and his face twisted into an absolute, broken expression. The soldier couldn’t help but think that Junko would have loved to see it. 

“So all this time... these last two years... were all lies?” He asked, on the verge of tears.

“Yes. Junko only wanted this despair. It was all a part of her plan.”

“Even you?” He asked. The question was pointed, sharp. It chipped away at her own resolve.

“I... I have always been part of her plan,” Mukuro answered. “A disappointment like me should be so lucky to help my sister feel anything at all.”

“But... you’re my friend...” Makoto said, a tear creeping down his cheek.

It hit Mukuro’s hand, and a million compulsions ran through her mind. She wanted to pull him close, hold him, tell him she would never let anything happen to him. Tell him that no matter what, she would see he was spared. Kiss him. Get him far, far away from here, where Junko could never hurt him. She held him to the locker, but looked away. Her eyes were watering. Why were her eyes watering? She’d killed hundreds without a second thought. _How does he do this to me?_ “I... no.” 

“But all those times you helped me,” Makoto insisted, keeping his resolve. “The time you caught me from the stairs. Saved me from the billiard ball.”

“Makoto, stop,” Mukuro said, quietly.

“- or that time I fell into the pond and you jumped in after me.”

“That’s enough.” Mukuro grumbled.

“Or all the times you ate breakfast with me!” Makoto cried out in anguish. “Was that all part of the plan, Mukuro?”

“NO!” She shouted. A tear ran down the side of her face, and she felt ashamed to let even that small emotion show. “No... it wasn’t.”

Makoto scanned her face, reading that she was telling the truth. “Then why would you do those things, if it wasn’t because you felt the same way too? That we weren’t friends?”

Mukuro couldn’t take it. She dropped Makoto and took three long strides away from him. This was too much. She wasn’t used to all these feelings, and she couldn’t handle these swelling emotions in her chest. “I don’t know, Makoto.” 

He stood like that for what felt like hours, staring at her back. He could see her shaking. Whether from rage or sadness, he dare not approach.

Finally, he said, quietly. “Then I believe that the Mukuro I know... the kind, helpful, strong Mukuro... is still in there.”

Mukuro let out a scoff of a laugh. “Makoto... You're always so naive. It’s not that simple. You know... You KNOW what’s happening outside these halls.”

He stayed silent for a minute.

“You know what this means. By helping Junko, I’m also part of the larger Ultimate Despair. All the things happening, all over... that’s just as much me as it is Junko.” She explained. 

“It’s not too late.”

She turned, incredulous. “Excuse me?"

“It’s not!” Makoto insisted. “You’re here. You can get to Junko. We can stop her! We can fix this!” 

“Why would I want to do that?” Mukuro asked. "Why would I stop what Junko wants?"

“What is it YOU want to do?” Makoto retorted, pointing at her for emphasis..

This took Mukuro by surprise, and she stepped back.

“All you’ve told me is that Junko wants that despair. That you did it for her. Do YOU want this despair? Does it make you happy?” Makoto asked. 

The question seemed to knock Mukuro off her feet, both figuratively, and literally as she sat down on a bench in the bath house. 

Makoto stared as Mukuro looked down at her feet.

“I... I just wanted to make Junko happy.” Mukuro said, finally. “I wanted to give her the Ultimate Despair. I was a means to and end. That’s all. A tool.”

“If it doesn’t make you happy, then I hope you’ll reconsider what I said.” Makoto frowned. 

"What I want has never been the conversation," Mukuro replied, quietly. "Quite frankly, I don't know what I want."

It was another lie. 

“You know... I’ve seen enough anime and read enough manga to know... tools of villains don’t always have good endings when they outlive their usefulness.” Makoto said, shuffling his feet.

Mukuro looked up. “What does that mean?”

“If you deliver what she wants... what do you think she’ll do when her tool isn’t needed anymore?”

Mukuro looked back down to her feet. She didn’t have an answer. “After all I’ve said and done... you would still worry about me?” 

Makoto sighed. “If what you’re saying is true... Junko has hurt any and everyone... Who’s to say she won’t hurt you? I mean... I’d like to think she wouldn’t do that to her sister... but you said she said you’re a disappointment.” 

The soldier said nothing for a while. After a pregnant pause, she said. "Why does that matter?"

“Even with all you said. I still look at you and see a friend. I still see someone I don't want hurt. Even if she thinks you’re just a tool...” Makoto replied. “I think... I think you could still be so much more. So please...”

Abruptly, Mukuro stood up to leave.

“What are you doing?” Makoto asked, confused.

Mukuro looked over her shoulder at him. “I’m... not going to betray Junko.”

“What are you going to do?” He asked. 

She paused, and said. “I... I won’t betray you anymore either.”

“Huh?” He asked. 

“Just be careful, Makoto.” She said, quietly. “You might be right. About their being kindness buried in me somewhere. But for now... I just... can’t.”

Without any further explanation, she left the bathhouse. 

Makoto collapsed on the bench and put his head in his hands. “Now what...”

He’d gotten answers, but they didn’t bring him any peace. After awhile, he stood up.

He'd have to make his own peace and protect his friends.


	3. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto decides his next moves and does his best to keep Sayaka's spirits up.  
> Mukuro lies to Junko for the first time in her life.

Makoto wandered out into the hallway, and was surprised when he bumped into Sayaka. “There you are Makoto! I was looking for you!”

“You were?” He asked, surprised.

“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you.” She smiled at him. “You went to Blackfoot Middle School, right?”

Makoto gave her a small grin back. This was strikingly similar to how the two of them first began talking in their first year. “Yeah, I remember seeing you a lot. Everyone was happy to have the Ultimate Pop Star around.”

She giggled. “Well, I’m glad to have a friend here in such a... scary situation.” 

Makoto allowed himself to chuckle. “Well, I don’t think we talked much in middle school.”

“No, but I always knew who you were!” She laughed. “You were the one who helped the crane that fell into the school pond!”

He remembered being on the livestock committee all those years ago. “Y-yeah. That was me.”

“That’s why I wanted to talk to you!” Sayaka grinned “I’m that crane, come to repay you!”

Makoto was glad to see her sense of humor hadn’t changed. But it felt weird, unnatural to restart their entire friendship over. “Very funny, Sayaka.”

“Haa, you’re a bit more steadfast than I thought you’d be,” Sayaka replied. “The middle school Makoto would have gotten all flustered. Anyway, want to look for clues with me?”

“S-sure,” Makoto replied. He knew very well there was no way out of the school without the button in the headmaster’s office. 

Instead, he pondered who he should tell that he had their school memories, and how he should do it. Would anyone believe him? Would it make things worse? 

What would Junko do to him if she found out Makoto’s procedure failed? 

And could he trust that Mukuro wasn’t going to say anything?  
\-----  
Mukuro stepped around the corner and walked towards her dorm. As if psychic, a Monokuma popped out of a hidden wall panel by Mukuro’s door. Somehow, the stuffed animal looked sweaty. 

“Oh my, did you take Mr. Ahoge to the laundry room for a confession?” Monokuma said, hugging itself. “I can see it now. You take advantage of the boy’s amnesia to get him securely in your grasp. Can love bloom on the battlefield, Mukuro?” 

“Nothing like that,” Mukuro grunted. “I think he just got really paranoid with all the cameras. Ended up just crying about the whole thing. He really misses his family.”

Lying to Junko felt so unnatural. Mukuro was happy that if she had any skills at all, concealing her emotions was one of them.

“Puhuhu,” Monokuma giggled, “What an herbivore man. I can’t believe he gets your fat little heart racing. Did you finger yourself to that stupid hair every night?”

Mukuro said nothing, but wasn’t able to stop herself from squirming a bit. 

After a pause, she asked. “Hey... Junko?”

“Grah! Call me Monokuma!” The bear raised its arms as if it was an actual, scary predator. “You’re breaking character!”

“But... you called me Mukuro.”

“Bears are allowed to break character.” Monokuma waved its hand. “Whattaya want?”

“Ah... nevermind, I guess just I’m just worried about the plan. There are a lot of unknown factors.”

“Jeez, you’re so disappointing!” Monokuma huffed. “And you know, despair and disappointment is a completely different feeling. This does nothing for me. This plan is foolproof! Get it through your thick head!” 

Without another word, Monokuma disappeared as quickly as he came. 

Mukuro paused, weighing Junko’s words against Makoto’s. Would her sister betray her? Was it not too late for her?

She shook those thoughts from her head. She was a killer. Not a hero.  
\------  
Makoto reported to the dining hall, as everyone had agreed. He listened, patiently, as it was confirmed that all the entrances and windows were impenetrable. 

Makoto and Mukuro avoided eye contact throughout. All the students looked through their e-handbooks and reviewed the rules that were put in place by Monokuma, including one forbidding violence against the headmaster. Mondo’s previous outburst in the gym was the only warning any of them would receive. 

Kiyotaka and the others established some ground rules and suggestions; not going out at night, meeting in the dining hall in the morning. Everyone agreed, except for Byakuya. He refused to play nice, and pretend that no one present was above killing the others.

Makoto had forgotten that Byakuya was so much... worse when he first started at Hope’s Peak. 

“What the fuck did you say about me, asshole?” Mondo grunted, cracking his knuckles as he stepped to the prodigy, angrily.

“Out of my way you peasant,” Byakuya sneered. “Violence just proves my point that you peons aren’t worth my time.”

Makoto stepped between them. “Guys, we shouldn’t fight, this is exactly what Monokuma wants!” 

Unfortunately, Mondo was already seeing red and punched Makoto across the room. 

It took all of Mukuro’s willpower to keep her composure. She wanted to carry Makoto to his room, but that would break cover. Instead, she suggested Sakura do it. The Martial Artist was happy to comply.   
\-------  
Kyoko Kirigiri had already begun to have an inkling of what her talent might have been, but she didn’t want to assume. Not yet, anyway. But every time she walked into a room, her focus darted from all the various things in a room that stuck out. As if on muscle memory, she would begin deducing what was out of place, what was a recent development, what belonged and what didn’t. 

Two students stuck out to her as strange in this matter.

One, was Junko Enoshima. Upon meeting the model, Kyoko saw she looked nothing like the magazine covers that were left in the laundry room. She overheard Junko say to Sakura that this was due to the airbrushing and editing done in the fashion industry, however. While Kyoko believed this was a reasonable explanation, for now, something still felt off about her. 

The other was Makoto Naegi. He was regarded, per the e-handbook, as the Ultimate Lucky Student. For him to be in this situation was anything but lucky. But his facial explanations during all the situations so far were contradictory of a boy who was confused and thrust into a new situation. Confusion was certainly present, but he had an expression that belied concerns that lie elsewhere. 

She had a hunch that he knew more than he was letting on. But for now, he had been punched across the room by Mondo. If he did have more knowledge than he let on, that certainly wasn’t part of the plan. 

She didn’t assume any negative or sinister plots from him. Not yet. Like Byakuya, she didn’t feel anyone was above suspicion. Unlike Byakuya, she wasn’t going to antagonize strangers about it. 

She decided to walk the halls one more time, searching for anything that seemed out of place. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling the building seemed familiar. Then again, she knew her father was the headmaster, so she had been in and out of the building many times. She trusted that something odd or out of place would be noticed. 

So far the amount of things laying around the school store were certainly out of place; no school would need a full suit of armor. 

She walked into a classroom and examined one of the plates on the window. Leaning in, she could see it was rusted.

It had been there for some time. 

There was no way this was their first day of school. 

She began to compile a hypothesis.  
\------  
Makoto Naegi woke up in his bed, wondering if anyone got the number of the truck that hit him. 

As he sat up and groaned, he remembered that it was no truck, just Mondo. “Ugh... me and my rotten luck.”

He sat on his bed and composed himself. 

He was stuck in a killing game with fourteen of his good friends, one of them being in on it with her sister, his fifteenth classmate.

His friends didn’t remember each other, save for the...

Makoto paused at the word traitor. He didn’t want to think of Mukuro that way. Mukuro was the girl that he would sit with and share breakfast with. The person who was always there to help him off the ground. Reliable, even if she was shy and reserved. 

Still, she was an Ultimate Despair. 

He sighed. Why did this feel so complicated? He should hate her.

But he couldn’t. He was too optimistic, too compassionate. He had tried, for two years, to help her out of her shell, if only a little. Every little smile and laugh he got from her was a victory. 

And if she was to be believed, those were real.

He shook himself. He needed to focus on the life and death matters in the school. Hopping out of bed, he opened his door, and was shocked when he crashed into Sayaka, knocking the two of them down. 

“Ah!” He cried, rubbing his forehead. “Are you okay, Sayaka?” 

She stood up and rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, I’m okay... thank you Makoto. I was actually just coming to check on you.”

His face turned red. “Oh... how long was I out.” 

“Most of the day,” she replied, “Mondo really knocked you out. Everyone decided to split up and explore more. It’s just about dinner time if you wanted to join us.”

After eating, Monokuma called them all to the Audio-Visual room. He claimed that since no one had died yet, he decided to spice things up with a motive. 

Every student had a DVD with their name, and was automatically apprehensive. What did Junko have that allowed her to create a personalized motive for each student?

Makoto loaded his own DVD into the small screen, and his heart broke a little when he saw his parents and Komaru on the screen, wishing him well at Hope’s Peak. Hearing their voices brought a tear to his eye. The scene shifted, quickly, to that same couch and living room destroyed by the Tragedy. It made Makoto wince; he knew that his hometown had been attacked, he had just hoped his family had been able to escape and someday he’d reunite with - 

Wait.

His eyes widened. 

That’s why their memories were taken.

No one here remembered the Tragedy. 

He looked around the room to see looks of anger, sadness, and confusion on the face of class 78. Sayaka took her headphones and let out a scream that only about half the class even reacted to. 

As he looked around, he and Mukuro locked eyes. He noticed she wasn’t actually watching her screen. Instead, their gazes met, and she quickly looked away. 

He could have sworn he saw guilt, if only for an instant. 

Sayaka ran out of the room. Makoto paused, looking from the door, to Mukuro, and decided to go after his middle school friend. 

Giving chase, he saw Sayaka collapsed on the floor of the hallway. “H-hey, Sayaka. It’s going to be okay!” 

She sobbed and pushed him away lightly. He stood back. He couldn’t help but wonder what was on her tape. If it was anything like his, it was just a taste of reliving the Tragedy once again. 

He bit his lip. Did he lie to her? Tell her the truth? Try and comfort her? He thought back to his pre-Tragedy self. If someone had told him the world had been turned upside in quick succession, by teenagers nonetheless, they’d have thought they were crazy. 

“I have to get out of here, Makoto,” Sayaka said. As she raised her face from her hands, Makoto saw a look he’d only seen on her face once before, vividly.   
\-----  
 _While the television stations still had broadcasts, class 78 and their headmaster still watched the news for coverage on how the outside world was dealing with the Tragedy. Some students opted not to, and Makoto didn’t blame them, but he still tuned in every day, hoping things would settle down._

_It seemed like every few days, a news story would bring tale of a tragedy or event that personally affected one of Class 78. Sayaka was no exception._

_On that day, Makoto was sitting with Leon, Sayaka, and Kyoko eating dinner, when the story cut to a reporter, on scene, to a benefit concert being thrown by Sayaka’s old group. Mid-performance, a member of the Ultimate Despair had attacked, gunning down each singer and a good portion of the crowd._

_The horror struck look on Sayaka’s face stayed there for weeks._  
\------  
Makoto swallowed. Leaving Hope’s Peak was not ideal with the Tragedy raging on. But they couldn’t stay in this situation either.

“We’ll all get out, Sayaka,” Makoto decided. “Together.” He knelt down next to her. “Whatever was on everyone’s video, true or not, is designed to get us to kill each other. We don’t want that kind of blood on our hands.”

“But...” She said, lip quivering. “I have to...”

“Don’t lose yourself now,” he replied, gently. “We’re all in this same situation. We have to figure it out.” 

“You’re... you’re right, Makoto,” Sayaka replied, gently. “Maybe I should come your assistant, to make up for it.” 

“Th-that’s unnecessary,” Makoto laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Let’s just try and figure out what we can do.”

As the two took a walk around the first floor to calm Sayaka’s nerves, Makoto couldn’t help but wonder what sort of things his classmates were going through as well. 

At the gym, Sayaka suggested taking a gold-plated sword to his room for self-defense.

He refused. "I wouldn't need to use it," he insisted. "We're not going to need it. We're all going to be okay."

Sayaka frowned, and he wasn't sure why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too much Naekusaba in this chapter. This is a slow burn story!


	4. To Fail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto continues to do his best to stop the Killing Game. But even with his memories, he only has so much control.

After seeing Sayaka off to her room, Makoto decided to seek out Mukuro once more. She had seemed conflicted before, and perhaps could be convinced to tell him more about the memory erasing.

It was also a matter of finding her...

She had disappeared somewhere, probably to report to Junko, he figured. The laundry room, the bath, the dining hall, the classrooms... Mukuro was nowhere.

He realized he had never tried her dorm though, and slapped his own forehead. Hiding out there would be the least likely place for her to get caught.

It was beginning to get late though, so he picked up the pace. As he entered the living quarters area, he saw Sayaka leaving the dining hall. He did a double take; he’d just seen her earlier and she said she was feeling faint. Squinting his eyes, he saw a gleam of something metal in her hands as she ducked into her dorm. 

He weighed his options; did he check on her again or talk to Mukuro? He looked up at the clock; he still had about an hour before night time. He took off towards Mukuro’s room, hoping he’d have time to do both.

He knocked on Mukuro’s door, holding his breath to see if any movement could be heard.

Nothing. He furrowed his brow. Where could she have possibly gone that he couldn’t find? Unless... she was hiding in the girl’s bathroom? 

Did she have a way to get by the locked gates blocking the second floor? 

Frowning, he stepped away from Mukuro’s door. He would like to hope retaining his memories, being able to figure out what was going on, was some sort of lucky blessing in disguise. But what good was he if he wasn’t able to change things?

“No.” He muttered to himself. “No, I can get us out of here. I just have to stay positive.” He grinned to himself. “This was a gift, and I’m not squandering it.” 

He turned back to check on Sayaka, but as he knocked on her door... she was no longer in her room either.

Before he could go look, Yasuhiro came charging up to him in a panic, “Makoto! Makoto I need your help!” 

The shorter boy tensed up. “What’s wrong?” 

“Someone stole my priceless crystal ball! That thing was worth two billion yen! I gotta find it!” 

Before Makoto knew it, he was being dragged around by Yasuhiro until they found the ball in the laundry room. By then, it was night time and Makoto felt like he accomplished nothing. Resigned, he returned to his room at the sound of Monokuma’s announcement. 

He laid on his bed, frustrated. Getting up, he decided to use the bathroom. 

His door jammed, causing Makoto to groan.

As if on cue, Monokuma appeared in his room, making Makoto scream. 

“Jeez, what a girly scream!” Monokuma laughed. “So hey, I see you noticed your door won’t open.”

“Yeah, I thought you said only the girl’s bathroom lock.” Makoto replied. 

“Yeah! That’s true! Your door actually doesn’t fit on the frame!” Monokuma laughed. “Try lifting the knob when you open it.”

Makoto just stared at the bear instead. Was this really Junko? She had always put on a very odd personality to class 78, he thought, and an odd sense of humor, but she never seemed awful. Not like this though. 

Monokuma tilted his head. “Jeez, what is this? I know I’m in your bedroom, but are you getting some funny ideas?”

Makoto blanched.

“Puhuhu,” the bear continued, “you’ve been a busy boy? First you chase down Junko into the bathhouse and then you hang off Sayaka all day? Never pegged you as a player, you scrawny bag of bones.”

Makoto tried the trick to the door, and saw that it opened. “Okay, I got it. Please leave.” 

He flinched. Why was he asking the murderous psycho to leave politely? 

“Aw, you’re not fun,” Monokuma pouted. “You better work on that hospitable attitude if you ever invite any of the girl’s in here.” 

With that, the bear left, to Makoto’s relief. He went into the bathroom to relieve himself, and went to flush.

But the water was off for the night. “Crap. Stupid bear couldn’t remind me the water was off...” 

He decided if he quickly ran to the bathroom and came back, he’d be okay. Doing so, he went and washed his hands, and ran quietly back to his room. As he went to take the key out of his pocket, he looked up to see Sayaka walk out of her room. She had a neutral expression, as if she was very lost in thought. But as soon as she looked up and saw Makoto, she had a look of panic and ran over to him. “Makoto, thank god! I was just coming to talk to you!” 

The shift took Makoto by surprise. “What’s the matter, Sayaka?” He asked.

“Right before I came out, someone came to my door and tried to break in!” She said. Tears began welling up in her eyes, and Makoto became alarmed. _She didn’t come out of her room like this..._

“What happened?” Makoto asked.

“I don’t know, I just leaned against the door and made sure they couldn’t get in!” Sayaka sobbed. “I’m scared, Makoto!” 

He rubbed her back, sympathetically. “It’s going to be okay, Sayaka. Maybe you could stay in here tonight?” 

Sayaka looked at him, surprised. “But it says students are supposed to sleep in the private rooms.”

She was right, but Makoto thought there was a loophole in the wording; most of Monokuma’s rules seemed to be designed for loopholes. He checked his handbook. “It just says in the dorms. Doesn’t say you can’t sleep in someone else’s dorm.”

“Are you suggesting we share a bed?” Sayaka asked, somewhat coyly, while playing with her hair. 

Makoto blushed. “N-no, I didn’t mean it that way.” 

He looked to his feet. He had been really close to Sayaka for the two years they spent at Hope’s Peak, but they had never been anything more than friends. In fact, it was Sayaka who had told him she had a crush on Leon. 

For her to like him now, after what happened with the memory erasure... it just seemed wrong. And, her behavior just wasn’t like how she usually was at all.

“Then maybe we could switch rooms for the night?” Sayaka suggested. “That should be okay, right?” 

Makoto thought it over, briefly, and nodded. “I don’t see why not. Just be careful; my door gets stuck, you have to lift it when you open it. And the water is off anyway...”

She nodded. “Okay. Just don’t open your door for anyone! I mean it!” 

It was surprisingly forceful, but Makoto nodded. “You either.”

Trading keys, the two went their separate ways. 

Her room was quite similar to his own; though the blankets were different colors, and he saw she had a sewing kit instead of the tool kit the boys were provided. _I didn’t realize Junko was so hung up on gender roles,_ he thought, dryly. 

Sitting on the bed, he knew he should probably get some sleep, but he just didn’t feel tired. It wasn’t a situation that lent itself to relaxing and letting his guard down.

Still, he laid down, his head hitting the pillow. But no sooner did he feel himself drifting off, was he awoken by a voice in the room. “Get up.” 

He yelled and jumped up into a sitting position. “Huh?! What are you doing here?!”

Mukuro was there, still in her Junko disguise. She got really close to him, making his cheeks turn scarlet. Once in his ear, she whispered, plainly, “I have a key. Come on, you’re being framed for murder.” 

Makoto immediately wanted to yell and scream that none of his classmates would do that. But then he remembered Sayaka leaving the kitchen with some sort of metal object, her odd behavior outside of his door, and her insistence that he didn’t leave the room. 

He didn’t want to believe it though. “You don’t know that.” He said, weakly.

To his surprise, Mukuro’s look was almost sympathetic as she pulled away. “Come on, you need to come with me.”

Makoto hesitated. This could easily be a trap. Mukuro had only given him a small promise that she would no longer betray Makoto, but she was still going through with this killing game, and was a member of Junko’s Ultimate Despair. What reason did he have to trust her in this instance?

However...

When looking at her, and the neutral expression on her face, he remembered all the times, stone-faced, she would crouch down and help him pick up his books in the hall. All the times he was carrying something heavy, she would immediately walk over and take half the load from him. She had never once hesitated to be there for him when he needed it.

He couldn’t look at her face and bring himself not to trust Mukuro Ikusaba. “Alright,” he finally replied, standing and throwing his hoodie back on over his shirt. 

Mukuro led him out of Sayaka’s room, and pointed something out to him. “See? Sayaka changed the name plates.” Makoto turned and looked, and his heart dropped.

Despite being in Sayaka’s room, the nameplate said Makoto. He took out his e-handbook and scanned over the map. The map still showed it as Sayaka’s room, but if you weren’t looking at the map and trusting the plates, it would fool anyone. 

“We need to go and stop-” Makoto urged, but Mukuro shook her head. 

“It’s not time yet.” She replied. There was a sadness in her voice, and she explained, quietly. “Just come to my room. I’ll explain.”

It screamed against every part of Makoto’s nature not to go and check on Sayaka, but he followed Mukuro reluctantly. As they entered Mukuro’s room, Makoto was surprised to see it somehow looked even plainer than the others. As a mole for the mastermind, Makoto suspected that maybe she would have special privileges. 

What did stick out to him though, was that there was no camera in here for keeping tabs on Mukuro. 

Wasting no further time, he asked, “What’s going on?” 

“I came out of my room to check for anything suspicious, and I saw your exchange of the rooms with Sayaka. I was hiding out around the corner to... monitor the situation,” Mukuro said. It wasn’t a total lie. She couldn’t let Makoto know she was keeping tabs on him to make sure he was okay.

“After you retreated to her room, Sayaka switched the name plates. I thought she’d go to your room, however...” Mukuro shifted uncomfortably. “She instead went and slipped a note under Leon’s door.”

Makoto’s heart sank. “But... why would she do that?” 

Mukuro frowned. “I think we both know the answer. Once I realized what was going on, I figured it was already too late.” 

Makoto turned and raced to the door. “There still might be time!” 

“Wait.”

He froze. Her voice was so commanding that he couldn’t help but freeze up. Mukuro was over next to him in a flash, and placed a firm hand against her door. “I know you want to help. But you have to time this right.”

“What do you...?”

“We have to wait for someone to make a move. Watch the peephole.” She commanded. "I have reason to believe she’s luring Leon somewhere. If you go early, she’ll just tell you everything is fine and you’ll leave him open."

Makoto frowned, but did as she asked. Sure enough, after a few minutes of waiting, Leon could be seen walking out of his door to the direction of Sayaka and Makoto’s rooms. 

Makoto’s heart sank. “We... we have to stop her.” 

He expected Mukuro to interrupt him, but she just looked to her feet. “I won’t stop you from trying.” 

“You won’t... come help me?” He asked, disheartened.

Mukuro clenched her fist. “I love my sister, Makoto. I will not go against her wishes by stopping a murder. But...” She looked away. “I won’t stop you, either.”

A wave of gratitude washed over Makoto. While she was only helping indirectly, Mukuro had gone out of her way to prevent Makoto from being framed, and set him up to be able to prevent a murder. 

There was good in there. He knew it.

Makoto ran over to the door and flung it open...

Monokuma was at the other side of the door. “Wha-wha-what?! What did I find in my nightly rounds?” 

Makoto tried to step over the stuffed bear, but as he did another two or three appeared to block his way. 

“Here I am, making a nightly walk to stop any late night canoodling, and what do I find!” The three Monokumas jumped back in Naegi’s way and somehow began sweating again. “It gets me all hot and bothered knowing so many of you kids are hooking up right away.”

With a running leap, Makoto cleared the Monokuma’s, ignoring their jabs and insults, and made a mad dash back to his room. Mukuro stepped out of her room to watch as well, clearly shocked with the turn of events. 

In his panic, Makoto held firm hope in his heart. He could do it. He could make it.

He would stop the murders. 

He got to his room, the nameplates still switched. The door was slightly ajar. He rammed into it with his shoulder and screamed, “STOP!”

The scene he walked into was straight out of a horror movie. Leon Kuwata was slumped, face first, against Makoto’s bathroom door, clutching the door knob. A knife was buried in his back, and blood was everywhere. Sayaka was sitting on the bed, covered in Leon’s blood. Her eyes were open and her hands were shaking, but her face was frozen. 

She was beyond tears.

Makoto stepped backwards in horror. As he did, he bumped into Mukuro, who had followed him.

“I’ll... I’ll get someone,” Mukuro replied, turning on her heel and pounding on a door across the hall.

Before long, all of class 78 was standing in Makoto’s room, looking at the scene. 

Monokuma’s body discovery announcement played. 

“Hem-hem,” he appeared on the screen. “A body has been discovered! Normally I’d say it’s time for an investigation, however, as it is the first time, an explanation is in order. I will ask that everyone report to the Gym first thing in the morning! And oh... one of you can share your room with Mr. Naegi since his room is a crime scene! Puhuhu! Sweet dreams!”

My room is a crime scene, Makoto thought, horrorstruck. Neither he nor Sayaka had moved the whole time, both frozen in place. Sayaka stared at Leon. Makoto stared at Sayaka. 

“Well, m-maybe Mr. Naegi can stay in Mr. Kuwata’s room?” Hifumi suggested, “Since he d-doesn’t.” 

“Leon’s room is still considered part of the crime scene,” Kyoko replied. “Perhaps, -”

“He can just stay with me.” Mukuro replied, looking at her nails in her rehearsed Junko behaviors. “He was with me right up until he decided to go to the bathroom and saw Leon.” 

Byakuya glared at her with contempt (this was how he looked at everyone though). “So even though this murder happened in Naegi’s Room, he has an alibi place him elsewhere?”

“Did I stutter?” Mukuro replied in her most vapid tone. “Me and Naegi were just being friendly with each other.” 

“Jeez, you fuckers move quick,” Mondo grumbled.

“SHARING A ROOM LIKE THAT IS HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE!” Kiyotaka shouted, vein bulging in his head. 

“He doesn’t need an alibi.” Sayaka said softly, making everyone turn and look at her. “I did it.”

Everyone stared, and a pregnant pause fell over the room.

“I convinced Makoto to switch rooms with me.” She admitted. “I took a knife from the kitchen. I lured Leon here. I did it.” 

Silence fell over the room once more.

“You commoners sort this out amongst yourself,” Byakuya grunted, turning and leaving the room. “We’ll deal with the murderous harlot tomorrow.” 

He slunk out of the room, Toko following him. She had spent the whole time blocking her eyes from the scene, and Makoto knew why, but in the moment he barely registered it. 

Gently, Mukuro placed a hand on Makoto’s shoulders and led him away from the room. 

“I’ll guard the room for the night,” Sakura volunteered. “As a precaution.” 

“Well, I can take a second shift,” Mondo yawned. “It’d be a buncha bullshit if we let you do the whole thing.”

“Thank you,” the martial artist replied, nodding. 

Makoto was silent as Mukuro led him into her room and sat him down on the bed. She pulled a chair up and sat across from him.

He failed. Leon was dead. “Hey.” Mukuro called to him.

__

Makoto said nothing.

__

“You... You did everything you could.” Mukuro said. She rubbed the back of her neck. She wasn’t any good at this sort of thing. It had come so much more naturally to Makoto for the last year. 

__

Makoto lowered his head. “Did you... did you know that she would get in my way?"

__

“No.” Mukuro replied with no hesitation. “I was under the impression Junko would not interfere unless she felt her hand was forced.”

__

Makoto gave a small nod. 

__

“Makoto, I swear I -”

__

“It’s okay,” he cut her off in a soft voice, just barely above a whisper. “I believe you.”

__

Mukuro watched as Makoto sat on her bed, shaking. 

__

She’d only seen him like this once before.  
\-----  
_Two days had gone by since Mukuro had an early breakfast with Makoto._

__

_While every hot meal she ate was a luxury in her mind (and taste buds), the simple egg and rice dish stayed in her mind those two days as the most delicious thing she’d ever had._

__

_“Aw, he got the useless fat pig through her stomach,” Junko cackled when she found out. “Make sure you’re with him at dinner, you obese cow. Keep his attention on the news. Then maybe you won’t be a let down.”_

__

_Mukuro’s heart skipped a beat. A way to make Junko happy and spend time with Makoto. Heat had risen to her face. She didn’t think she could ever do those two things at once._

__

_So that night, she sat with Makoto, and listened as he talked with Sayaka and Kyoko. But when the news came on, she stared at it with intense focus. This caught Kyoko’s attention, and soon all four were watching._

__

_A bombing had occurred in Makoto’s already war-torn home town. Overhead aerial shots showed the charred remains of houses and buildings._

__

_“As of now, there are no known survivors,” the newscaster reported stoically._

__

_Makoto had locked up, frozen, as he stared at the screen. Mukuro looked over at this face and saw the heart break reflected in his eyes. Slowly he began to tremble. Then, he put his face in his hands. Lastly, the tears flowed, turning into harsh sobs._

__

_Looking across the room, the soldier could see her sister. Junko could usually keep a good facade, but Mukuro could tell that she was watching Makoto and quivering as well. Junko was surely reaching ecstasy as she saw the boy’s despair._

__

_Mukuro usually loved seeing her sister this way._

__

_But when she looked at Makoto, she didn’t feel good._

__

_It was an awful feeling. She hated it! She even felt a spark of rage against her sister. She reached over and placed a hand on his back. She didn’t know how to comfort people, but the movement felt natural. Slowly, she stroked his back up and down._

__

_She hated seeing Makoto like this. She loved his smile, and this was as far away from his smile as it could possibly be._

__

_Mukuro made a promise to herself to make sure he didn’t look this way as often as possible._  
\------  
Mukuro got up and sat next to Makoto, rubbing his back, gently. “I’m sorry, Makoto.”

__

He shook harder and cried again. “What’s going to happen to her?”

__

Mukuro looked down at her feet next to his. “If I understand the plan, we’re going to have a trial to determine the guilty party.”

__

“Which we already know,” Makoto replied. He had barely choked out the words and sobbed harder.

__

“Yes.” Mukuro nodded. “Unfortunately... and then... she will be punished.”

__

Makoto sobbed again, burying his face in his hands. Mukuro continued to rub his back, ignoring the pit in her stomach. After awhile, Makoto began to choke out, “I thought... I thought I could prevent this. I thought if I knew... if I knew how everyone was...”

__

“You did your best,” Mukuro replied. 

__

“I should have been faster,” Makoto said, but Mukuro cut him off.

__

“You can not blame yourself for the actions of Sayaka,” she said, sternly. “You can’t control what anyone does.” 

__

“I don’t blame Sayaka either,” he spat bitterly. 

__

This took Mukuro by surprise. Makoto looked up at her with anger and determination in his eyes. “The only person I blame is your sister. This whole thing is her idea. This whole situation was set up by her.” 

__

Mukuro withdrew her hand. “Then... I deserve equal blame.”

__

The two looked back at their feet, silence filling the room. It soon became heavy and oppressive before Makoto finally broke it. 

__

“No,” he said quietly. “You did what you could to help. You tried to protect me. You let me try to stop it. You didn’t know she’d get in my way.” 

__

Mukuro took off her wig and sighed. “The sentiment is appreciated. But my inaction does nothing to absolve my compliance in the game. In the Tragedy.”

__

“We can’t change the Tragedy now, Mukuro.” Makoto said, evenly. His tears had stopped and he stared ahead at the wall. He was afraid if he looked at her, he’d cry. “I know you two had a plan... but it sounds like this has all gone sideways since I talked to you.”

__

“You aren’t wrong.” Mukuro replied. 

__

“Then it’s not too late.” Makoto said. 

__

Another pregnant pause. Mukuro swore that her strengths were in actions, but words accomplished more. She could fight a war, but wars were always ended with words, negotiation, and treaties. Makoto’s power had always lied there.

__

“Yes, it is, Makoto. I’m too far gone.”

__

“No, that’s wrong!” Makoto said, slamming his fist on the mattress and standing up. As the two locked eyes, Mukuro saw a fire there that she’d never seen before. “If it was too late, you wouldn’t have come to give me an alibi. You wouldn’t have set me up to be able to try and stop the murder. You wouldn’t sit here and rub my back. You can change! Change this! Change the game! Change the future!” 

__

He was pretty damn convincing, Mukuro had to say. The offer was... was so tempting.

__

But...

__

She looked down. “But I’ll just... disappoint my sister.”

__

“You’d be a hero to me,” he said, pleadingly. Mukuro felt lightheaded from the statement. It was... so alluring. But Makoto said more:

__

“And... your sister knows you tried to help me.”

__

Mukuro froze up. In all that had happened, this detail escaped her.

__

Monokuma had appeared right outside her door. Junko had interfered directly to make sure the killing game kept going. 

__

“Yes,” she replied, quietly. “You appear to be correct.”

__

“What’s going to happen to you?” Makoto asked, deadly serious.

__

Mukuro sighed. “The plan is... that tomorrow I will oppose a class trial, step on a Monokuma, and be dropped through a trapdoor. From there, I keep an eye on the game as an outsider.”

__

“Do you...” Makoto paused, picking his words. “Do you think Junko will stick to it, now that she knows?” 

__

There was no answer. Mukuro stood up and walked to another side of the room, concerned. She mulled the words over. “Anything Junko does to me, I deserve.”

__

She was surprised when Makoto walked up to and grabbed her shoulder. “I know you love your sister, Mukuro, but that’s not how love works.”

__

Mukuro looked him in the eye. “I’m an instrument of death. Her love is all I’m good for.”

__

The look in Makoto’s eye was one of pity. “That’s not true. I’ve lost one friend tonight. I don't know if I can stop myself from losing another tomorrow. But I don’t want to lose you too.”

__

She stepped back. “I don’t want pity. And I do not deserve your kindness.”

__

“The only thing you don’t deserve is Junko treating you like a tool.” Makoto said, pleadingly. “You may have done some bad things in the past. But you can still help me. We can stop this. Together.”

__

He extended a hand out to her. She stared at it. Her arms twitched. Her eyes shifted. “I don’t know. I don’t know, Makoto.” 

__

“I believe in you, Mukuro.” Makoto said.

__

The words hit Mukuro like a punch. She looked at him, wide-eyed. “What?”

__

“I believe in you.” Makoto told her. He had a faint smile. “I’m going to carry Leon’s death with me. If I can’t stop what happens to Sayaka tomorrow - and I’m going to try - then I will carry this with me. I will live on with them and stop your sister. And I believe that there’s still hope for you.” He looked down. “All of my friends... this whole class... is so precious to me.”

__

He took a step forward and looked her in the eye. “You are too.”

__

Mukuro stepped back, face burned scarlet. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage.

__

Junko never spoke to her this way. Junko never once seemed to appreciate her. The warmth, the loving honesty she was feeling from him. She wanted...

__

She wanted...

__

“I...” She stuttered. She felt out of control with her actions. “I... I...”

__

Makoto’s eyes fell. “I know... I’m asking a lot. I’m asking you to change your whole way of life. But I believe in you. Just... please think about what I said.”

__

Mukuro nodded. “I will. I promise.”

__

“Okay...” Makoto looked to the bed. “I’ll... sleep in the tub.”

__

“N-no.” Mukuro replied. “I’ve been trained to only need four hours of sleep, and I got it before the whole thing. You... you sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

__

Makoto nodded. “Okay. I trust you, Mukuro.”

__

She fought back tears. Why did it hurt when he said that?

__

She watched Makoto climb into her bed. She turned away as he tossed and turned into a restless sleep. She heard him murmur in the night.

__

Makoto hadn’t said anything, but her pillow smelled really good.

__

She replayed his words over and over in her head. And then Junko’s words. 

__

The whole night, the words turned in her head. 

__

She was at an impasse. She could not stay unaligned forever. It was either Makoto’s hope... or Junko’s despair.  
\------  
“Hem hem. Gooooooood morning everyone!” 

__

The morning announcement played, and Makoto groaned. He sat up, aggravated. He wasn’t a morning person. 

__

“Come on,” Mukuro said, “we need to hit the gym.” 

__

Makoto nodded, rubbing his eyes. “Right.” The reality of the night before struck him. “Oh...yeah...”

__

The two looked at each other and said nothing. It wasn’t going to be a good day.

__

As the two walked out of Mukuro’s room, the first thing Makoto noticed was Mondo stumbling out of his room sleepily.

__

“Hey!” Makoto called out to him, running up to the Biker. Mukuro was shocked how quickly Makoto moved over getting punched by him. For someone lacking in self-confidence, Makoto showed a lack of fear to people who most would consider dangerous. “Mondo, weren't you taking another guard shift?” 

__

Mondo’s eyes glazed over in confusion for a minute, before he snapped to a realization. “Fuck, you’re right! Ogre never came to get me!”

__

“We-we need to check on them!” Makoto gulped, and the two boys took off running. 

__

Mukuro followed after them. 

__

The three of them opened the door to Makoto’s room. Makoto and Mondo both screamed, and even Mukuro let out a surprised gasp.

__

Sayaka was lying in Makoto’s bed, blood coming from a cut on her neck. The blankets were disheveled, and looked like a small struggle had taken place on the bed. 

__

DING DONG DING

__

“Hem-hem,” came the voice of Monokuma, “A body has been discovered!”

__


	5. Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto, despite his best efforts, must prepare for the class trial

“This again,” came Byakuya’s voice as he walked out of his room, “We already know about... oh.” 

Soon, once again, the whole of class 78 was standing in Makoto’s doorway, in stunned silence. 

The silence was broken when Hifumi shrieked, “NOOOO! MS. OGAMI KILLED MS. MAIZONO!”

“Hold your tongue,” Sakura grunted. “I had done no such thing.”

“You were the one watching Maizono, were you not?” Celeste asked. “If you did not wake Owada, who else could have done this?” 

“Hey!” Monokuma shouted, appearing out of nowhere and making everyone jump, “YOU’RE ALL GOING OUT OF ORDER! GET TO THE GYM SO WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO FIRST!”

Fifty more Monokumas began piling into Makoto’s room and began shoving the students out of the room. 

“COME!” Kiyotaka shouted, “For now we must follow the orders of the headmaster and go to the gymnasium!”

Reluctantly, they all followed suit.   
\------  
Once again, the students, sans the departed, had gathered in the gym and Monokuma sprung out onto the stage. 

“Puhuhu!” He giggled into his paws, “I knew a good motive wouldn’t let me down! A day one murder! Two murders!” 

“Th-this isn’t a joke man!” Yasuhiro panicked.

“Nope! It’s deadly serious!” Monokuma laughed. “So here’s what happens...”

Monokuma began explaining how the class trial worked. As he did, some of the numbness surrounding Makoto’s brain lifted. 

Someone, while Sakura was supposed to be guarding the body, killed Sayaka. Either by getting by her, luring her away... or either Sakura had done it herself. This time, they had done it in a way neither Makoto or Mukuro could have picked up on and prevented. 

Makoto was just a normal boy who had been lucky enough to survive the memory-wipe. Why did he think he could undermine the Ultimate Analyst? 

He shook himself as Monokuma handed him the Monokuma file. He flipped it open. It detailed Leon’s death; a knife wound between the ribs, given to him by Sayaka Maizono. 

For Sayaka’s it detailed her cause of death as a wound in her neck, with other external wounds in both wrists. 

Wrists? Makoto wondered. He hadn’t seen any wrist wounds amongst all the blood coming from her neck and on the sheets. 

“Now, I’ll let you all investigate and determine whodunnit!” Monokuma cried gleefully. “Better hurry, when I get bored, we’ll start the trial, ready or not!” 

“No, this is stupid,” Mukuro snarled out, in her most valley-girl-esque voice. 

Makoto looked up at her. _Oh no._

“Whattaya mean?” Monokuma said, tiling his head. “Attendance for the class trial is mandatory.”

“And what if I don’t do it?” Mukuro replied, folding her arms. “I don’t want any part of your stupid killing game. So I’m not doing it!” 

“You have to do it,” Monokuma snorted with laughter. “Or else I’ll... lock you in a dungeon or something.” 

“As if,” she snorted. “I’m leaving.” 

Mukuro turned and tried to leave, and instinctively Makoto reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Don’t.” He whispered softly. 

Their eyes met, and Makoto tried to convey how worried he was about this plan. Mukuro just shook her head and continued past him.

He followed. But another Monokuma popped out in front of Mukuro, claws drawn. 

“Alright, I didn’t want to have to do this,” the headmaster growled. “But if you want to skip the trial, you’ll have to get through -MMF”

Mukuro stepped on the headmasters’s face, pinning him down.

“There,” she replied, “I win.”

“Okay! I warned you!” Monokuma sneered from under Mukuro’s boot. “Violence against the headmaster is forbidden! Spear of-”

Makoto didn’t let the headmaster finish before he yelled, “NO!” He tackled Mukuro off of Monokuma, and held his body over hers protectively. 

In the spot Mukuro had just been standing, spears erupted from the floor. Some even flew at Makoto, causing everyone in the gym to yell. They did, however, stop just before hitting Makoto’s back. 

From his spot on the floor where Makoto was pinning Mukuro down, he turned his head very slightly to see the tip of a spear just centimeters from his face. 

“D-don’t move,” Mukuro whispered. “Th-they’re right above you.” 

His heart hammered in his chest. He almost watched Mukuro die. From her own sister, nonetheless. 

“Jeez,” Monokuma grunted, “Mr. Naegi, you’re not supposed to interfere with the juicy parts.” He stood up and dusted his stuffed body off. “You must have the Ultimate Luck, since I’m forbidden to actually kill one of you myself. Next time, I don’t think any of you will be so lucky. I’m bored now, so go investigate.” 

The spears all retracted, and after a moment of pause, Kiyotaka and Mondo ran over to help up Makoto and Mukuro. Taka was practically in tears. “Makoto, such a display of noble companionship for a classmate! I’m truly touched.”

“Yeah, you two are tougher bastards than I pegged either of you for,” Mondo said, picked up Makoto with one hand. 

“That aside,” Kyoko replied, stepping forward, “It would be best if we had more than one individual stand guard. Perhaps, Sakura, Mondo, and Aoi.” 

“Yes, then they can keep tabs on each other.” Celeste agreed, before smiling and adding, “Their skill sets do not lend towards investigations anyway.” 

Byakuya left, without a word, and Toko followed after him. 

“I’ll em... I’ll consult my crystal ball,” Yasuhiro grumbled, turning and walking away. 

As the others began to disperse, Makoto thumbed through the Monokuma File once more. 

_Sewing needles._

“Makoto.” 

He jumped and looked up. Kyoko was standing in front of him and Mukuro. “Yes?” He responded.

“I’d like to ask for your assistance in this investigation. Just to clear up a few things.” She requested.

This was a surprise. Makoto and Kyoko had been close the last two years, but since the memory erasure, he hadn’t had a moment to really spend any time with her. “Me?” 

She nodded. “You’ve proven to be quite observant so far. I feel like your help would be instrumental in getting to the bottom of the case.” She folded her arms as well. “Junko can come with us as well.” 

Makoto looked back to Mukuro, who just shook her head. “No... there’s actually something I want to go check.” 

He gave the soldier a perplexed look, but she didn’t meet his gaze. She just gave a rehearsed grin (not her genuine one, as Makoto knew), said, “see you later,” and turned.

“Very well. Come on Makoto,” Kyoko said. 

Pausing slightly, he turned and followed the Ultimate Detective. 

“Can I ask you a few questions?” She asked, once everyone was out of earshot. 

“Ah... so I’m a suspect?” He asked.

“Everyone is,” Kyoko replied, rubbing her chin. They were walking towards the dorms, and Makoto figured the first thing that was going to happen was that they would have to examine the bodies. “Until I can determine who was where, no one can be ruled out.”

“That’s... fair,” he reasoned. “Fire away.” 

“First, why was Sayaka in your room, with the name plates switched?” 

A reasonable first question. He explained, calmly, that after returning from the bathroom, Sayaka’s bizarre behavior, and her insistence on switching rooms. He explained what Mukuro had seen, and that she came to get him from his room to let him know something was going on. 

“That was awfully nice of her.” Kyoko replied. “For people who just met, you two appear awfully close.” 

Makoto began to sweat. And he knew Kyoko would recognize it; she could read him like a book, which was actually part of how the two grew close over the last few years. 

He needed the detective on his side. And keeping secrets from her was not the way to do it. “...Kyoko, if I told you something crazy, can I trust you to hear me out?”   
\------  
Mukuro Ikusaba needed to have a conversation with her sister, and she knew there was only one place they could do so in private.

Currently, the nurse’s office was locked, but she had a key to access all the floors and rooms in the building. Making sure none of the other students were around, she unlocked it and went inside. 

“Alright, Junko.” She said, as she closed the doors behind her. “Can we talk?” 

On cue, Monokuma popped out of the wall. However, Junko was not even bothering with the voice modifier; Monokuma sounded the same as her sister. “I knew my disappointment of a sister would want to talk. What? Are you sad I didn’t follow the plan? Don’t you like it when I try to kill you?”

Mukuro grimaced. She wasn’t wrong; there were times in their first year when the murder attempts meant Junko was giving her attention. 

For some reason, now, those thoughts didn’t fill her with happiness. When she wanted happy memories, they were of...

... messy brown hair and omelets.

“That’s different, Junko. You changed the plan. I thought... we were just dropping me down a trapdoor.” 

“I should have killed you!” Junko made the doll throw up it’s little bear arms. “I can’t believe that clumsy little twig actually managed to tackle you!” Monokuma lowered its arms and brandished it’s claws, threateningly. “And don’t sit here and act all high and mighty when you’ve been conspiring against me this whole time. You’re so disappointing your betrayal doesn’t even give me any despair!” 

“I haven’t been conspiring!” Mukuro pleaded. She just wanted Junko not to be upset with her anymore. “There’s been a complication! Makoto -” 

“Yeah, Naeggs remembers everything.” Junko replied in her bored tone. “Obviously.”

Mukuro’s jaw dropped. “You... you knew?” 

The Monokuma grabbed its belly and laughed. “Of course I knew, dipshit! Watching him agonize about whether or not to tell his friends?! It was written all over his face! Go figure, his Ultimate Luck actually made him more unlucky! He can’t tell his friends anything that’s been happening!” The bear took a serious face and continued. “Besides, sis, why else would he want to go up and talk to some ugly garbage like you? People don’t just go to a dumpster for fun. Well, you probably do.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?” Mukuro asked.

“Because I liked watching you fret over what to do, dumbass!” Junko laughed. “Torn between your widdle girly cwush on Makoto and me, the only thing that gives you purpose in the shitstorm you call your life. All the despair! All the guilt! The second Makoto looked to you for help, you've been a despairing little peon! I should have hooked you up WAY sooner, this would have been even more fun.”

“I didn’t... I didn’t...” Mukuro said, at a loss. She looked to her feet. Junko needn’t call her a disappointment, she already felt it in her heart. 

“I didn’t, I didn’t,” Junko mocked in a high pitched voice. “What you didn’t do is come to me and be honest, Mukuro. You tried to spare your little twink and so I tried to skewer you. But you know what?”

“What?” Mukuro asked.

“I was going to kill you anyway.” 

The words were like a slap, and Mukuro fell to her knees, eye level with the bear. “You... what?”

“Puhuhu!” Junko giggled, and the Monokuma covered it’s mouth from the giggle. “That’s right. I never planned on keeping you around. The world is in ruins. The Ultimates outside have got it handled. And besides, how much despair could I get out of my sister’s death, now that she was no use to me anymore?”

“No... use?” The soldier echoed dully. That was just what Makoto had said.

“Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat’s right!” Junko said. “Let’s be real here, Mukuro. You’ve always been a fat, ugly, disappointment. You know what’s really disappointing? I was supposed to watch you die, and despair over the last of my family leaving. You couldn’t even do that right. Hell, you couldn’t even betray me right. You pussyfooted around the issue and got saved by Makoto. So I’m going to make it easy for you. We’re done. I love you, Mukuro.”

The soldier looked up in shock. Never once had Junko told her she loved her. 

Which could only mean this was goodbye. 

The Monokuma disappeared without another word. 

She tried so hard to please everyone. But Mukuro was still a disappointment. She couldn’t help Makoto save Leon or Sayaka. She couldn’t even help her sister feel despair. 

She, for a minute, regretted that the spears hadn’t been her end. 

Curling up on the floor, she put her head in her knees. It was too much. This was too much. War was easy for her. 

Abandonment was not.   
\------  
“... so, in summation, we’ve all been classmates for two years, I’m the Ultimate Detective, Junko is not the real Junko, and the real Junko is behind the whole thing.” Kyoko summed up. 

Makoto nodded, looking around the bath house. “Yeah. I know it sounds -” 

“I believe you.” 

He was shocked. He had not suspected convincing the more skeptical student would be this easy. “You do?”

“I had been working on a theory that our memories were tampered with, though such procedures would be experimental in nature. Though I never would have suspected... all this.” Kyoko admitted. “I wish we had discussed this sooner.”

“Well, I figured if I said anything, they’d think I was crazy.”

“That’s not unreasonable,” she agreed. “Everyone is so sure of what’s happening. It’s hard to doubt your own memories. So, you and Mukuro can vouch for each other. We should go examine the bodies and see what we can account for Sakura’s guard absence.”

They did just that. At the crime scene, Kyoko and Makoto found several items of significance, all of which Makoto made a note of in a notepad.

“You can see the angle the blanket was kicked out, that Sayaka’s neck was stabbed first,” Kyoko explained. “It looks as though she was laying down when she was woken up by the attack, struggled for a few seconds before she died.” She paused, looking up at Makoto. “Are you alright? You seem uncomfortable.”

Makoto had a determined look on his face as they were making observations on the scene. “I’m not exactly used to inspecting dead bodies,” he conceded. “But I’m determined not to let the mastermind get away with this.” 

Kyoko nodded. “Okay. Let’s continue... so, it looks like the killer pinned her hand down, walked around this way... you can tell by the blood smudges around the foot of the bed... and then pinned her arm down on that side.”

Makoto looked around, surveying the scene. _Do I really have to keep living in this room?_

But then he realized something was missing. “Hey, Kyoko, where’d the knife go?” 

Kyoko looked up and realized the knife in Leon’s back had vanished. “That’s... a good question. I was so focused on Sayaka’s murder I hadn’t checked Leon’s body yet.” 

“Could that be what caused the neck wound?” He asked. 

Kirigiri frowned and gently approached Sayaka, leaning in to examine the wound. “...No.” 

“No?” Makoto frowned, furrowing his brow.

“No, this is a puncture wound. A deep one,” Kyoko sighed. “A very quick thrust, directly in and out. And it doesn’t match the knife blade at all. We’re looking for something smaller. Bigger than the sewing needles though.”

Sakura, Mondo, and Aoi said nothing as the two investigated. Finished with the bodies, Kyoko turned to Sakura.

“So, Ms. Ogami... what happened? Why weren’t you present at the time?” The detective asked.

Sakura looked aside, shame evident on her face. “Well...”

“It’s my fault,” Asahina replied, sadly. “I asked her to come to my room because I couldn’t sleep. I was too scared.” 

“It’s true,” Sakura admitted, woefully. “I pounded on Mondo’s door, and I thought I heard him say something, but I didn’t stay to make sure he took over.”

“I thought I heard something, but when I hollered, no one answered,” Mondo replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “And then I passed right out. I was fucking exhausted, man.”

“The rooms are soundproofed, as we found,” Kyoko nodded. “Your shout would have went unnoticed.”

Makoto would have been angry if he wasn’t already feeling so defeated over failing to stop any murders. Twice. “I guess that accounts for them.” 

“Well, just Sakura,” Kyoko corrected. “Unless someone can corroborate your story, Mondo, we can’t prove you didn’t do this.” 

“Tch. Sorry. I was one of the few people actually sleeping by themselves last night,” he replied. 

_Ouch,_ Makoto flinched. 

Without a word, Byakuya stormed into the room. “Oh good. I’m not the only one actually investigating this.” But as he realized he was talking to Makoto and Kyoko, his look of disdain returned. “I can’t believe I have to resort to this, but you two. Come. The fat porn creator has located the missing knife.” 

“Fat po - do you mean Hifumi?” Makoto asked, incredulously. 

“His name is not my concern!” Byakuya scowled. “I don’t care to repeat myself.”

Makoto and Kirigiri looked at each other, shrugged, and followed Byakuya out of Makoto’s room. Before he left, Makoto turned and took a look at Sayaka’s body. 

His first friend at Hope’s Peak. He swallowed and closed his eyes. 

He’d hold on to these feelings, if only to ensure he didn’t let her down in death as he had done in life.   
\------  
Mukuro Ikusaba picked herself up off the floor or the Nurse’s Office, and left. 

She knew, by now, her keycard to the other areas of the school were likely no longer good. She turned and tried it on the Nurse’s Office again to confirm that, yes, she was locked out.

She was on her own. She had been on her own before, of course, but she had always figured she’d return to her sister some day. She tried to snap herself out of this numb state, but it was no use. What was a life without Junko? 

As much as it hurt, Junko had been right; the younger twin had been the only thing giving the soldier’s life purpose for practically their whole lives. Ten years of planning and scheming for the Tragedy. 

Her eyebrow twitched. Junko’s Tragedy. Her whole life... dedicated to her sister’s work 

For years, Mukuro had been pointed at every obstacle in Junko’s way. How many times had she been tasked to clean up piles of bodies? To throw herself at danger? To give up food, shelter, water, just for the sake of Junko’s comfort? 

And Makoto had been right.

That had been the one thing holding her back; the desperate belief that she was not expendable to her sister. That when Junko sat on her throne on the ashes of the world, Mukuro would be at her right hand side. 

No, if Makoto hadn’t intervened, it would have been Mukuro’s head on a pike next to the throne instead. A warning to anyone who got too close.

She briefly recalled how Junko would kick around Mikan Tsumiki before the school got locked down. Mukuro had always pitied the girl; throwing her overly affectionate love and devotion at Junko, who couldn’t care less. But thinking now... Mukuro had been no better. 

“Fine.” Mukuro decided, mournfully. “If we are no longer sisters, then I will bring my sister despair the only way I can. By stopping this game altogether.” 

With a deep breath, she filled her chest with determination. 

She turned and began walking down the hall back towards the dorms.

As she walked past the School Store, she noticed the doors had been left open. That was... odd.

Walking inside, she saw an item on a display shelf had been hastily put back; a pair of scissors. 

Taking them down from the case, Mukuro could see someone had tried to clean these off, and had not done a very good job. “Oh no...”  
\------  
Byakuya had led Kyoko and Makoto to the trash room, which Hifumi had, apparently, volunteered to be in charge of during the first week. The grate, which had remained locked overnight, was still down, blocking off the compactor and incinerator. On the other side of the grate was the bloody kitchen knife that had been taken from Leon’s back.

“Looks like someone tried to throw it to the incinerator,” Byakuya sneered. “Not exactly a bright idea considering it wasn’t even on.” 

Kyoko frowned. “That’s not any sort of way to dispose of evidence.”

“But you said the knife isn’t what caused the neck wound,” Makoto pointed out. “So... maybe... they wanted us to find it? The only person would could have made that throw was Leon, and we all probably knew that.”

“A plant.” Byakuya said, adjusting his glasses. “Not a bad theory, for a commoner.”

“Uh... thanks.” 

DING DONG BING BONG

The chimes of the school announcement bell rang out across Hope’s Peak.

“Alright,” Monokuma announced on the screen. “I’m bored now! Head to the red door on the first floor and prepare for the class trial! Puhuhu!” 

Makoto and Kyoko made eye contact, uncomfortably. There was more they would have liked to do. 

But all remaining 13 students, Mukuro included, made their way to the red door. From there, they filed into the elevator.

It was the time for the first class trial.

Makoto swore to himself it would be the last.


	6. Trials and Tribulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trial time? Trial time

The trial room looked surprisingly professional, though that wasn't Makoto's focus.

Monokuma explained the rules, giggling all the while. “If you can all successfully guess whodunnit, only the blackened will be punished. But if anyone other than the blackened is chosen, everyone else will be punished, and the blackened will graduate from the game!” 

Immediately, Yasuhiro cried out, “Ogre did it! She’s the only one who could have!” 

“Sakura has a solid alibi backed up by Asahina,” Kyoko snarked.

“Is it not possible that Asahina aided and abetted Sakura?” Celeste asked. “Perhaps they decided to take justice in their own hands?”

“We know Sakura knocked on Mondo’s door to wake him up, they both confirmed as much,” Makoto replied, “If they were plotting murder, why risk Mondo waking up and catching them?” 

“W-why would anyone agree to be an accomplice anyway?” Hifumi asked. “Do they count as a blackened too?”

“Nope!” Monokuma cackled. “It only counts if you’re the one doing the dirty deed yourself!” He grinned. “That means murder by the way. All you horny teens get your heads out of the gutter!” 

“So there’s no benefit to working together on a murder. Though I suppose we can’t rule it out if someone finds a weak-willed sucker.” Byakuya reasoned. 

“Then perhaps we should focus in on who disposed of the kn-knife used to kill Sayaka and Leon?” Chihiro suggested. 

“O-o-obviously we sh-should,” Toko scoffed. “You-you moron.” 

Chihiro looked like she was about to be driven to tears. 

“Actually,” Makoto interjected. “Upon examining the body, Kyoko found evidence that the knife couldn’t have been used to commit the murder.”

“Gross!” Aoi cried. “You actually got that close to the body! You better wash up, Naegi.”

_Why is she zeroing in on me for that?_ Makoto cringed.

“He’s correct,” Kyoko replied. “The knife wound would have been too long and flat to match the wound found on the neck of Sayaka. It was a puncture wound in and out.”

“Th-then wh-why would someone m-m-move the knife?” Toko scowled, pulling at her hair.

“To divert our attention,” Byakuya rolled his eyes. “Obviously.” 

Toko’s face flushed. Apparently the insult was the greatest thing to ever happen to her. 

“Then can we perhaps consider the sewing needles were what made the puncture?” Sakura suggested.

“No, I don’t think we can do that either,” Kyoko replied, shaking her head. “The sizes of the wounds don’t match up.”

There was a pause amongst the trial, until Mukuro spoke up. Her voice was closer to her normal voice, not the rehearsed Junko persona she hid behind. But it was hesitant and unsure. She had never anticipated to make it to a class trial. “I might have found something.” 

Everyone turned to see Mukuro produce the shears she had found from the school store. “These had been rather hastily cleaned and shoved back on the shelves of the school store. There’s still some traces of dried blood on them, if you look.”

“Hey hey!” Monokuma growled. “The Monokuma merchandise is all new, never used! No refunds, no exchanges.” 

Kyoko stepped over to Mukuro to examine the shears, but the two made eye contact. Immediately, the soldier could sense something different about the way the detective was looking at her. For a minute, Mukuro believed the silver-haired girl could see right through her. And perhaps she could; her talent was why her memory-wipe was just a tad stronger than everyone else’s.

But there were more important matters at hand. Kyoko examined the scissors and compared the diagram she had drawn. “This matches. This could very well be the murder weapon.”

“Tch,” Byakuya scoffed. “Scissors to commit a murder? Why?” 

“Doesn’t make any fucking sense, a knife was right there.” Mondo agreed.

Makoto and Mukuro made eye contact from across the trial room.

They knew exactly liked to use scissors to commit murder. 

“Hey Toko,” Mukuro called.

“W-w-what do you want, you whore?” Toko stuttered out.

Quickly, Mukuro bit her thumb hard enough to draw a trickle of blood, and showed it to Toko. The shorter girl collapsed, causing everyone in the courtroom to gasp.

“What the hell was that about!” Yasuhiro cried, “did she just freaking die too?!”

“Junko, explain yourself!” Sakura scowled.

“PLEASE, SELF-HARM IS NOT THE ANSWER!” Kioyataka shouted. 

Before any more exclamation could be made, a cackling laughter echoed in the room. 

“OH MY GOD I THOUGHT THAT STUFFY LOSER WOULD NEVER LET ME OUT!”

Genocide Jack jumped up from the floor. “I GET A FIVE MINUTE RUN AND THEN I GET STUFFED AWAY AGAIN AFTER TWO YEARS! UGH!” She turned to Makoto. “BIG MAC! HOW THE HELL ARE YA?”

“What... what is this?” Kyoko asked, bewildered. This was the first time since the memory wipe she ever sounded genuinely floored by something. 

“WHATTAYA MEAN?!” Jack cackled. “CORPSEY CALLED FOR ME, DIDN’T YOU?!”

Mukuro almost flinched - she had really hated that nickname. 

Makoto wasted no time questioning the killer. “You recognize these scissors, Jack?” 

“YEAH, I USED THOSE TO KILL THE TEENYBOPPER LAST NIGHT!”

A silence fell over the courtroom. No one would have expected Toko to grow a second personality, let alone confess to the murder.

“Wait a minute,” Byakuya asked. “First of all, who the hell are you supposed to be?” 

To everyone surprise, Toko wailed sadly. “WAAAAAAH!!! MASTER! YOU CAN’T SIT HERE AND TELL ME YOU ACTUALLY FORGOT ABOUT ME?!”

“Um... why is Ms. Fukawa referring to Mr. Togami that way,” Hifumi mumbled. 

“EW!” Jack laughed, already over the crying fit. “DON’T CONFUSE ME WITH THAT LAME BUNDLE OF SELF-LOATHING AND SEXUAL TENSION! I’M GENOCIDE JACK! YOU ALL KNOW THAT!”

Yasuhiro, Chihiro, Hifumi, and Kiyotaka all screamed. Even Celeste was aghast, her poker face falling momentarily. 

“Wait, like the fucking serial killer?” Mondo asked. “What the fuck is she doing at the school?!” 

“I GO HERE, LIKE ALL OF YOU!” She cackled. "DID YOU ALL TAKE SOME OF THAT HIPPIE'S STUPID PILLS THIS MORNING?"

“I’ve... I’ve read all about the cases of Genocide Jack!” Byakuya scowled, still reeling from being called Master, “The killer known as Genocide Jack only kills boys! And she crucifies them and writes a secret phrase at every scene, and it’s not released in any official reports-”

“WHAT, BLOODLUST?” Jack cackled again. “I DIDN’T HAVE TIME!”

Byakuya was floored again. “...yes. Yes, that’s the phrase. And... I guess it does match up...”

“Match up to what?” Makoto asked. He had been floored since Genocide Jack’s reappearance. The killer had not reared her head in the entire year they had spent captive at Hope’s Peak. Further, he hadn’t expected her to have killed Sayaka. Toko had it under such good control over the last few years. 

“Well, I checked all the sewing kits in the girl’s rooms,” Byakuya replied. “Only Toko’s was opened.”

“That is crucial evidence, why wouldn’t you start with that?” Kyoko asked, a hint of annoyance coming through. 

“And make this whole event boring?” He sneered back. 

“But... but why would you kill Sayaka?” Makoto asked, pleadingly. “She wasn’t a guy! You didn’t use your MO? You only kill guys, AND you hang them up vertically with the scissors!” 

Jack turned serious. “I know. I hated every second of it. But when Toko saw the Punky McBaseball’s blood ALL OVER Big Mac’s bathroom, I just wanted to come...BURSTING OUT! And then.... Andthenandthenandthenandthen! The BITCH had the audacity to get called a murderous harlot by my master!”

It took everyone a second to piece together that Byakuya had, in fact, called Sayaka a murderous harlot.

“...and you killed her...” Mukuro reasoned, slowly, “because she got insulted?”

“I AM MASTER’S MURDEROUS HARLOT YOU STUPID WHORE!” Genocide Jack screamed.

It felt weird for Mukuro to be called that by someone who wasn’t Junko. _Why did I even like it when Junko did it?_

“SO WHEN THE COAST WAS CLEAR, I WAITED FOR THAT STUPID OGRE TO LEAVE BIG MAC’S ROOM UNATTENDED! WHEN BOOBS MCKENZIE ASKED FOR OGRE, I MADE A BREAK FOR IT! I GOT THE NEEDLES AND THE SCISSORS AND GOT TO WORK! I WAS WORRIED THE BIKER WITH THE POMPADOUR WOULD CATCH ME, SO I HAD TO BE QUICK. IF I HAD TIME, I WOULD HAVE CRUCIFIED HER UP! EVEN WITHOUT MY SPECIAL SCISSORS!” 

“Th-then why mess with the knife?” Kiyotaka asked.

Jack’s tone turned deadly serious. “I heard all about the investigation when I came out. That other me kept me in the dark about this stupid killing game. BUT I HAD TO STAY ALIVE FOR MASTER! SO I THOUGHT I’D THROW YOU OFF THE TRAIL! I DIDN’T THINK ANYONE WOULD GO LOOK FOR A STUPID PAIR OF SCISSORS, BUT GUESS I WAS WRONG!” 

Monokuma stood up, interrupting the matter. “Well, who woulda guessed the first murder would be a hidden serial killer. I assume you’re all ready to vote for the culprit?” 

No one said anything as the vote was cast. Even Genocide Jack voted for herself, cackling all along. 

Confetti and balloons fell from the ceiling as a screen behind Jack announced her as the guilty party. She and Monokuma cheered like she had just won some sort of sporting event. 

Then, without any sort of sequitur, Monokuma threw a chained collar around Toko’s neck and led her off to be executed. The remaining students watched in horror as she was executed in front of their eyes. 

Hung up with a rope by her wrists, with a weight tied to her feet, first some pepper was sprinkled on her nose, making her sneeze. She reverted back to Toko, and began panicking, not realizing how she got there. 

Makoto watched helplessly as scissors were shot from the wall, cutting and snipping her clothes away until she was naked. A Monokuma waddled up to her on a ladder with another pair of scissors and got eye level with her. The students expected that Monokuma would stab her. 

However...

Monokuma cut the wrist rope holding up Toko. As he did, a panel opened in the floor, dropping Toko in a tank of water. The students watched, in horror, as Toko slowly drowned. 

"She..." Makoto muttered, swallowing. "She hated water."

“GAHAHAHAHA!” Monokuma chuckled when it was all over. “Gah, what a fitting execution! She stunk to high heaven!” The robotic headmaster turned to the shocked students. “Jeez, you guys look like you just saw a ghost. I guess I should say congratulations.”

“C...congratulations?” Asahina echoed, weakly.

“Aw thanks,” Monokuma answered, cackling again. “You guys passed the first trial. I bet you’re tired! So you’re all dismissed to go back to your happy, healthy school life!” He waved, jovially. “Sweeeeeeeet dreams!” 

Monokuma disappeared after bidding them goodnight, but no one else moved a muscle. The heavy tension laying over the air was thick, and no one dared leave, lest the bubble bursting brought the whole building down onto all of them. 

Guilt began to claw its way up Makoto’s chest. He had seen Toko trying to contain Genocide Jack last night, but was so wrapped up in what was happening to Sayaka he didn’t even processed the idea. Jack and Toko had always been so obsessed with Byakuya that they had sworn off murder altogether. It had not registered that Byakuya insulting another girl might set off Jack. 

He felt like he was barely breathing, and finally, defeatedly, wanted to retreat to his bed. Monokuma had promised that all traces of the murders would be removed after the trial during his initial explanation, and Makoto was hoping this was true; he needed to collapse. It had all been too much.

“Wait.” 

Byakuya’s voice was malicious and biting, making Makoto turn. 

“How did you two know that Fukawa was actually Genocide Jack?” Byakuya’s vein was popping in his head. “I was determined to solve that case myself. But you,” he pointed to Mukuro, “knew how to change her, and you,” he pointed to Makoto, “weren’t even surprised by the change.”

“THAT’S your main concern with what happened?” Yasuhiro asked.

“He’s not wrong,” Celeste said, tenting her fingers under her chin. “It’s clear you two know more than you are letting on in this situation.”

“Maybe those two are the mastermind’s,” Hifumi pondered, adjusting his glasses while sweating nervously.

“We all have questions,” Kyoko interjected. “But now’s not the time to get tempers flared up.”

“Indeed... we should let ourselves rest.” Sakura added. 

While Makoto and Mukuro were both internally grateful for the assist, it was still clear a distrust had been planted among the group. Makoto could feel the eyes of his classmates on his back, and they stayed firmly there until he stepped out of the elevator and was able to escape to his dorm room. 

To his surprise, Monokuma was true to his word. All traces of blood had vanished and were thoroughly cleaned. And to his annoyance, Monokuma appeared in his room to brag about it.

“PUHUHU!” The headmaster giggled as he jumped out of a wall panel. Makoto yelled, jumped, and fell on his ass in that order. “Pretty cool, right? It’s like a whole new room! I even threw out that old bed and gave you a new one.”

“O-oh,” Makoto replied, standing up. “Yeah... can’t even tell...”

“Jeez, that’s all the reaction I get out of you?” Monokuma scoffed. “Guess I shouldn’t be shocked. What’s to stop you from going and staying with Mukuro?” 

Makoto’s eyes widened a bit. By calling her sister by her name, Junko was dropping the pretenses. He figured he might as well, too. “Why are you doing this, Junko?”

“How did I know that’d be your question?” Monokuma replied, although this time it was not the modified bear voice. It was Junko’s, “You’re so disappointing, Makoto.” 

“Me?” He asked in disbelief.

“You couldn’t even get your memories erased properly!” Junko laughed. “And even with your memories and figuring out it was me, you still couldn’t stop me! Couldn’t stop any killing!” 

“You got in my way!” He retorted, angrily. 

“Excuses excuses,” she chuckled. “It’s too late now.” 

“No, that’s wrong!” He spat. “No more. I’m stopping you! We’re all getting out of here, together.”

“Oh is that right?” Junko replied in a bored tone

“YES!” He screamed, startling himself by yelling. “I’M SAVING EVERYONE FROM HERE ON OUT! I WILL STOP YOU JUNKO! I’LL STOP THE WHOLE TRAGEDY! I’LL TAKE APART EVERYTHING YOU’VE BUILT!” He grabbed and pulled at his hair in frustration. “NOW GET OUT!” 

To his frustration, the Monokuma doll only giggled, raising it’s little paws over its face. “Puhuhu. Sure thing. Let’s see how long you can keep that determined look in your eyes.”

The headmaster vanished, and Makoto collapsed on his bed. 

He’d deal with it in the morning.


	7. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto comes clean to the class about what he knows. He's not the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some fluff and angst!

Mukuro Ikusaba woke up with the morning announcement, sleeping for longer than four hours for the first time in years, the events of the trial taking a toll on her. She sat up and looked to where she had thrown the Junko wig, wondering if she should keep up the facade. Was it too late? Would her classmates become more suspicious? 

She decided that, perhaps, it would be best to keep the disguise on, but then reveal herself to people. 

“That reminds me...” she mused to herself, plopping the wig on her head. “The detective...”

She couldn’t help but wonder about the penetrative gaze Kyoko had given her. And if she knew anything about Makoto, he was trusting. Perhaps to a fault.

“She knows.” She muttered to herself. 

Of course, even if the detective did know, neither Makoto nor Kyoko knew that Junko had severed the relationship with Mukuro completely. 

She needed to talk to them before she dropped the act altogether. 

Covering her Fenrir tattoo, she put on the, “Junko Persona,” and left her room.   
\-----  
Makoto sat down in the dining hall, trying to absorb the reality of the last few days. He kept expecting Leon or Sayaka to walk in, or Toko to try and rush in without anyone noticing her. But they were gone, and he had to keep forcibly reminding himself of that. 

Before long though, all twelve remaining students came in, including Byakuya, despite his prior insistence he wasn’t going to join in on these morning meetings. 

“Alright. Tell us, Naegi,” he scowled. “What do you know?” 

As much as he had expected it, Makoto wasn’t sure why Byakuya was focusing in on him as opposed to Mukuro, but he took a deep breath to explain - 

And was immediately cut off by a Monokuma announcement. “Very urgent! All students must report to the gym, pronto! No time for side conversations! Get here now or face severe punishment!” 

“YOU HEARD HIM, WE MUST DEPART NOW!” Kiyotaka yelled. If there was anything he loved more than rules, it was urgent rules. The fast-paced rules got his blood boiling. 

“Are you fucking kidding me, this was just about to get good!” Mondo asked, shocked. 

“YES, YOU DEGENERATE, WE MUST DEPART!” 

The group reluctantly left the cafeteria, and began walking for the gym. Mukuro moved to walk next to Makoto, when Celeste popped in between the two of them. 

“Good morning, Enoshima,” She said, evenly. 

“Oh... uh... hey, Celeste,” Mukuro replied, a bit surprised. “You okay? You’re a little close.”

“Just want to make sure you and Naegi aren’t whispering secrets to each other.” She gave her fake, gamblers smile. “After all, we still don’t know what the truth is with you two.”

Mukuro never really played well with others, and the display didn’t make her feel better about the conversations that she knew were coming. The gambler was oozing mistrust in her direction.

At the gym, Monokuma sprang up from the podium, once again. 

“Ah... you know, it makes me really happy that it only took a day for my motive to do what it needed. You guys really know how to deliver on the thrills, chills and kills!” Monokuma cackled. 

“Yo man, thrills and chills are great, but...” Yasuhiro grumbled. 

“Well you can’t have those things without kills!” Monokuma replied. “And normally I’d give you guys a few days to wallow in despair before I passed out a new motive!”

“Can you maybe still do that?” Hifumi asked, nervously. 

“Nope!” Monokuma grinned. “Because this motive relates directly to what you guys were about to talk about.”

Makoto’s eyes widened, and he and Mukuro exchanged worried looks. 

“Thaaaaaat’s right!” The headmaster continued. “Secrets. Here!” He brandished files from behind his back, and flung them to the floor. “Everyone take their own!”

Cautiously, all the students found a file with their name. Makoto couldn’t find his though. 

Mukuro picked up hers, and flipped it open. “The girl presenting as Junko helped the mastermind put you all in this game,” the file read. She hid the scowl that was itching to spread across her face. 

“What the hell is this shit?” Mondo yelled.

“What is it?” Monokuma asked. “Why, you read it. It’s your deepest, darkest secrets from before you came to school!” 

Makoto looked across the gym at the horrified faces of his friends. Even Byakua looked more pissed than usual. “But where’s...?”

“Oh, and I thought I’d give you some freebies!” Monokuma laughed. “Just consider it extra incentive. Three of them!” 

A murmur rose up around all the students, but Kirigiri remained her composure. “And what would those be?”

“I will tell you three statements. And these three statements could all be referring to the same person. Or they could refer to three different people!” Monokuma giggled. “Or, maybe one person can claim two! Who knows! It will be up to you to decide! They might be someone’s secret, or they might just be neat little details! It’s up to you to figure it out! But if there isn’t a murder in 72 hours, then ALL the secrets will be revealed.”

Monokuma straightened himself up. “Hem-hem. Alright, so first... someone in this room is working for the Mastermind!” 

All the students began to talk over each other, save for Makoto, Kirigiri and Mukuro.

_Did... did Junko have another mole in here,_ Mukuro wondered, eyes shifting between everyone in the room, _or is this about me?_

“Second: someone has been lying about who they are the whole time!” 

Chihiro looked particularly panic-stricken, though only Makoto noticed amongst the rising cries from the other students. 

“And the last one...” Monokuma covered his face with his paws and giggled. “Makoto Naegi already knows all of your darkest secrets! Puhuhu! See you guys in three days!” 

The bear disappeared before anyone could object, and Makoto’s blood ran cold. Every pair of eyes in the gym and turned to glare at him. It was certainly clear now why he didn’t have any file on hand for this motive. 

“Makoto!” Kiyotaka barked. “How is it possible for this to be true! Surely if you know, you must be the mole too!” 

“N-no!” Makoto cried. “I-I’m no such thing!” 

“But you do know all these secrets... correct?” Celeste asked, stepping forward. While her tone was usually always the same, it was lowered just enough in this instance to make him feel threatened. 

“If he knows the secrets, it means he has been lying about who he is this whole time!” Hifumi cried. 

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Makoto insisted. 

“Maybe you should stop fucking making denials and explain shit!” Mondo threatened, punching a fist into a palm. He, and the rest of the class, seemed to be closing in on him. His heart raced and he couldn't help but step backward fearfully.

“All of you back off and give him a chance to actually explain himself!” Kyoko ordered, trying to step towards Makoto. 

“The longer you allow him to delay, the more lies he can think of,” Byakuya replied, pointing at Kyoko. “Unless you’re in leagues with him.

Mukuro’s rage reached a boiling point. Junko had put a target on Makoto’s back. And she was not going to stand for it. “KNOCK IT OFF!”

Everyone turned to look at her, and in one swift motion, Mukuro took her wig. “I’m the one lying about who I am.” For a brief moment, time seemed to stop as everyone stared at her newly revealed face and hair.

“OH MY GOD, SHE'S NOT A REAL BLONDE!” Hifumi screamed, nearly fainting. 

“I - what?” Mukuro asked, bewildered. “N-no, that’s not it. I’m not Junko Enoshima.”

Kiyotaka seemed enraged. “YOUR INTRODUCTION WAS INVALID! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!” 

“My name is Mukuro Ikusaba. I’m the Ultimate Soldier. Junko is my younger twin sister,” She replied. “She’s the mastermind behind this whole thing.”

“What, the model?” Aoi asked, shocked. “Why would a model do this?”

“It’s more than just this,” Makoto added. Everyone turned back to look at him. “She’s been doing things like this for two years.”

“That’s impossible,” Byakuya scowled. “How would we have not heard of such a thing?” 

“You have,” Makoto answered. “We’ve been aware of these things for two years. But you guys were forced to forget it.”

A silence hung over the gymnasium. 

“OH SHIT, ALIENS WIPED MY BRAIN!” Yasuhiro screeched. 

“There is nothing there for them to wipe,” Celeste replied with a smile.

“N-no,” Mukuro explained, “One of our old classmates was the Ultimate Neurologist, Matsuda Yasuke. He had developed a way to force selectable amnesia onto someone. As part of the Mastermind’s game, you were forced to forget all the things that happened.”

“Wait a fucking second, we got to Hope’s Peak on our first day, right?” Mondo asked. “We’ve only been students here for like, what, three days?”

“No, that’s just it,” Makoto said, “we’ve been classmates here for over two years, but those memories were erased. That’s why I know all the secrets; because we’ve all been friends for years and we just became close with everyone else.” 

There was a scoff of disbelief from Byakuya. “You expect us to believe such a thing? Why tell us now?”

“There is some evidence to support this,” Kyoko added. “Come on.” 

There was a finality in the command, and she turned to walk out of the gym. Hesitantly, all the other students turned to join them. The detective led the students to one of the first floor classrooms. She examined a steel plate covering the windows. “See? These fastenings have already begun to have rust set in. We all remember arriving at Hope’s Peak without any signs of windows being sealed in such a way, correct? Then there is no way any of these coverings could rust if things happened in only a day or so.” 

“An interesting point,” Byakuya conceded, “But I would hardly say it’s conclusive.” 

Makoto thought, quickly. He didn’t want to betray anyone’s trust, so he tried to think of enough information to reveal that would prove he had befriended at least some of them. He just hoped what he was about to do wasn’t a bad idea. “Sakura.”

“Hm?” The martial artist looked down on him. Her looks usually scared people, but Makoto knew she was a friend. He just hoped she’d remember.

“Kenichiro is still out there,” he assured her, gently. 

Mukuro watched from a few feet away, muscles tense. She would never admit to anyone, but she was ready to defend Makoto if she had to, especially considering she had saved his life. Sakura’s face went from shock, a very brief flash of anger, but then an acceptance. “I see. So you’re telling the truth.”

“You told all of us about him,” Makoto assured her, “Not just me.”

“Very well,” she nodded. Turning to the rest of the class, she announced, plainly. “He’s telling the truth.” 

“Erm... what exactly does that prove?” Hifumi asked.

“Kenichiro is my first love, and the only person I consider to be stronger than me,” the warrior admitted. “If I told all of you, then we could have only grown close to each other.” 

“Well if Sakura believes him, I believe him!” Aoi piped in, chipperly. 

“Well, how do we know these two are telling the truth about Ms. Enoshima being the mastermind?” Celeste asked. “Perhaps it is just those two, and one of them could be construed as a mole?”

“But we were all present when Monokuma has appeared,” Kyoko argued. “Neither of them was controlling the bear. It would be almost impossible for them to be headmaster.” 

“All I can do is tell you my story,” Mukuro said, stepping in front of the class. “Either you can believe me... or not.”

Everyone turned and gave the soldier their full attention.

And with a deep breath, she told them everything since Junko first was accepted into Hope’s Peak. The Most Tragic Incident of Hope’s Peak. What they did to class 77b to turn them into the Ultimate Despair. The Tragedy. Their year at Hope’s Peak. The memory erasing. The fact that this whole killing game was being broadcast across the whole world. 

It was incredibly difficult, and the looks of betrayal and rage she was receiving bore right into her soul. It was an odd feeling; she had never allowed herself to grow close to any classmate other than Makoto for fear of how Junko would feel about it. So when this all happened, she never felt like she was betraying anyone. 

It was incredibly difficult to feel that way when the people she had done these things to were looking at her with hurt in her eyes. But, throughout it all, Makoto was giving her a supportive look. For the first time in her life, someone was looking... proud of her? 

It was a foreign feeling.

She liked it. 

“So, that would make you the mole?” Celeste asked.

“No,” Mukuro replied, immediately. “Our... relationship ended when she tried to kill me.”

There was that familiar, unpleasant feeling of wanting to cry. Funny how often that was happening these days. 

“Unless that was a clever ruse,” Byakuya objected. 

“It wasn’t!” Makoto objected. “I was supposed to lose my memories just like you guys! And I recognized that Mukuro WASN’T Junko. So I went to her for help, and it made them start fighting!” 

“Jeez...” Aoi sighed, looking to the ground. “This is a lot to take in. My head really hurts.” 

“Surely this changes the whole class dynamic,” Kiyotaka said. For once, he seemed really thoughtful about the whole thing, instead of his usual loud, brash self. “It’s quite unexpected.” 

“I know it is, but you have to understand, none of these secrets are worth killing each other over,” Makoto pleaded. “We’ve been friends for over two years! We already knew these things about each other.” 

“I need to consider this,” Byakuya huffed, turning to leave. “I’m not entirely convinced of this story. Nor that neither Naegi nor Ikusaba are the moles.”

“That is true, we have not determined the nature of the traitor,” Celeste replied. “Unless that’s something you remember too, Naegi.”

Makoto looked to his feet. “No... I thought... it might have been Mukuro too, but that’s because we haven’t really talked since Junko tried to kill her.” 

“Perhaps,” Sakura suggested, “we should take the rest of the day to consider things.” 

“That might be for the best,” Kyoko agreed. “We are all still processing quite a bit of information.” 

“I’m still not convinced that Junko or whoever wiped my brain ISN’T with the aliens,” Yasuhiro grumbled, turning to leave.

“Yes, well... I believe this gives me an idea for my latest work,” Hifumi said, adjusting his glasses and shuffling away.

Slowly, the students left the classroom only Kyoko, Makoto, and Mukuro remained. 

“Well,” Kyoko said, examining her gloves. “I imagine, if Makoto was telling me the truth, that you two have a lot to talk about.”

“You knew,” Mukuro said. It wasn’t so much a question, though there was something in her voice looking for confirmation. “During the trial. You knew, and didn’t say anything.” 

“There were more pressing matters to attend to,” Kirigiri nodded. “I have not, of course, ruled out the possibility that either of you are lying. Or even that the two of you are both moles. That possibility wasn’t ruled out by anything Monokuma said. However, I have no reason to disbelieve you at this time, when your stories line up with the circumstances.” 

“That’s... fair,” Mukuro admitted. 

“What you’ve done before this... none of us are in a position to forgive,” Kyoko continued.

_Makoto said the same thing,_ Mukuro couldn’t have helped but thought. 

“But... if you’re working against your sister now, our goals are the same,” Kirigiri finished. She turned to leave. “I could use a nap. Well, no. Truthfully, I could use a strong drink, but barring that, a nap will have to suffice.”

The detective left, and Mukuro thought she could see Makoto watching her go.

Something writhed in her heart. Those two had always been close, and it had never been easy for her to stomach.  
\------  
 _Four months had passed since being locked in Hope’s Peak. As the Tragedy raged on outside, class 78 was beginning to get a little stir crazy. Temper’s were running high, and it seemed like four days couldn’t go by without Sakura breaking up a fight._

_Junko couldn’t have been happier. Watching the students strong bond break was enough despair to hold her over until the preparations for the killing game was complete._

_Mukuro stayed out of it. While Junko prepared, there wasn’t much for her to do outside of picking locks or lifting crates from the warehouse._

_A bit restless herself, she had wandered to the Dining Hall after already making the rounds across all five floors. She figured she could rest her feet._

_Walking in, she saw Junko seated at a table, completely engrossed in the news. At another table, Makoto was sitting, eating a snack he had prepared himself. He smiled at Mukuro._

_Sometimes it felt like the only thing getting her through the days was that smile. It was her sunshine in the windowless shelter. As usual, he patted the seat next to him to invite her over. She couldn’t help but think it was cute._

_As she sat down next to him, he asked, “What’s up, Mukuro?”_

_She shrugged. “Nothing much. Remember when you asked if I was restless?”_

_He chuckled a bit. “Yeah. I think we’re all feeling it now.”_

_Before the two could talk more, shouting could be heard out in the hallway. Mukuro and Makoto turned towards the door to look, though neither could make out the words._

_From the voices, they could tell it was Kyoko and Jin Kirigiri arguing._

_“Wow...” He muttered, “Kyoko never raises her voice. Must be serious.”_

_“Hmm,” Mukuro hummed in agreement. “Well. She never seems to see eye to eye with her dad.”_

_“That’s unfortunate.” His smile returned though. “But hey, if we’re all stuck in here, maybe they’ll have time to understand each other better.”_

_He always hoped for the best for everyone. Not just himself. It made her heartbeat quicken. She didn’t know people like that existed, and he surprised her every time. “Y-yeah. That’d be good.”_

_Kyoko suddenly stormed into the dining hall. Her expression was stoic as usual, but as she sat down at a separate table, her glare was so filled with rage that Mukuro could have sworn it’d burn a hole in the wall opposite of her._

_And Makoto Naegi was not one to sit around while someone was upset. “Excuse me, Mukuro,” he said, getting up and heading into the kitchen._

_She watched him walk away, curious about what he would do. Minutes later, he returned, a mug of coffee in each hand. He sat down across from Kyoko, and placed a mug in front of her. The detective gave him a quizzical look. And as Makoto took a sip of the drink, he immediately made a face that gave away he wasn’t usually a coffee drinker. The expression even earned a small laugh and smile from Kyoko._

_“I guess it’s an acquired taste,” he said. “Anyway, I wanted to ask if you knew how to play billiards.”_

_As he chatted away with Kyoko, it was easy to see her bad mood melt away. It was something Mukuro admired about him, his ability to make others feel better, to draw out their best qualities._

_But her insides writhed and screamed to watch him give that attention to another girl._

_She could hear Junko walking up and sitting down beside her. “I bet it feels like someone’s grinding your stomach right now, doesn’t it?”_

_Mukuro gave a nod so small, only her sister could see._

_“Jealousy is such an ugly feeling, isn’t it sis?” Junko whispered. “Not something they taught you about in the Fenrir, huh?”_

_Mukuro nodded. “Yeah. An ugly feeling for an ugly girl.”_

_“That’s right,” Junko snickered. “I’m training you well. It’s no wonder, isn’t it? Look at those long legs of hers. Of course he’d want her instead of you.”_

_“Right,” Mukuro said, quietly. “Like you said, I’m fat, ugly, and useless.”_

_“So much so, you couldn’t even bag someone as plain as Naegi. What a disappointment.”_  
\------  
Mukuro shook the memory out of her head as Kyoko shut the door behind her. Kirigiri had given her the chance now; jealousy was not productive at the time. 

She turned to see Makoto was looking directly at her. His expression held a lot of things that she had trouble identifying - she wasn’t used to seeing people looking at her like that. Remorse? Empathy? Sympathy? Concern? Maybe all of those things. 

“Mukuro, what happened?” He asked, stepping towards her with his hands in his hoodie pockets. 

For whatever reason, she instinctively took a step backward. “Just... you had been right. She knew I had been working with you. Or at least... helping you.” 

Makoto frowned. “So... she tried to kill you?” 

Mukuro said nothing. She was mentally bracing for an, “I told you so,” or, “well, what did you expect?”

Those words never came though. Once it became clear she wasn’t going to say anything, Makoto scratched the back of his head. “I’m so sorry, Mukuro. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now... but... I’m sorry.” His voice was strained and he looked like he wanted to step towards her again, but he held back from doing so.

“Why are you apologizing to me?” She asked. Her tone had more bite to it than she had anticipated, taking her by surprise. “You don’t get it, Makoto. I’m a killer. I’m part - or was part, or something - of Ultimate Despair. It might as well be my fault Sayaka and Leon are dead.”

“No,” he replied, gently. “That’s wrong. You did your best to help me. And... if Junko was all you had, like you said...”

He trailed off, and for the first time, Mukuro didn’t feel like the two of them were Ultimate Students of Hope’s Peak. They were just two awkward teenagers having a hard time communicating. 

“I can’t imagine someone I care about trying to kill me... and then having the nerve to sever ties with me.” Makoto said. He clenched his fists. “I’m sorry I never noticed what was going on with you two... but I don’t think she treated you right if you thought were only good for spreading her despair.” 

Mukuro looked to the ground. Makoto’s words, like usual, were wriggling under her skin, breaking through all the barriers she’d learned to put up with the outside world. Her eyes were watering and she reflexively folded her arms. 

“I’m going to get us all out of here,” He continued. “And... we’ll fix everything. Then you don’t have to feel bad about it.” 

“You’re really naive, Makoto,” she said, letting out a small laugh. “This isn’t something that can be fixed. I can’t just wash my hands and pretend they’ve never killed.”

“No, you can’t.” He agreed. But her stepped forward and grabbed her hand. She held back the urge to gasp as he did. “But you can use them to build a better future. And... I’ll be there for you every step of the way. You’ve done so much for me. Maybe you don’t think so, but...” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I always looked at you as this pinnacle of strength. You were always looking out for me. So, I’m going to be in your corner, whether you like it or not.”

Mukuro let a tear fall and a smile creep across her face. “You’re... more stubborn than you let on, you know that?” 

“If I wasn’t stubborn and optimistic, I would be completely average,” he laughed.

“I don’t think so,” Mukuro replied, quietly. “But... thank you. I don’t know how confident I feel about this whole... fighting for a better future thing, but I swore I was going to stop Junko if she was going to sever ties with me.” 

“Well, I’ll just have to enough hope and optimism for both of us,” he smiled. “It’s the least I can do.” He laughed again. “I just hope I don’t get on your nerves.”

To his shock, Mukuro closed the gap between the two of them and wrapped her arms around his waist. It was rather awkward positioning for a hug, but it struck Makoto that she might not have ever actually hugged someone before. Gently, he returned the gesture.

“You won’t.” She replied. “Thank you.” 

Makoto’s heart began hammering against his chest. Her back was lithe and muscular, but her chest, pressed against his, still felt soft. As she pulled away from her, he got a good look at her pale blue eyes and freckles. He had a weird feeling in his chest like he wanted to protect her. It was a silly feeling; she could snap his neck without breaking a sweat. She was probably the last person here needing protecting. Still, it was a feeling he had and didn’t feel like it was going to go away. 

Mukuro had thought about hugging Makoto for a long time, but it didn’t compare to the real thing. He had a warmth that was unfamiliar to her. He smelled good, too. He might not realize, but she owed him so much. And she wasn’t going to let anyone hurt him. 

“Now... I think we should take Kirigiri up on what she said,” Mukuro sighed. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.” 

He smiled, and her heart faced again. “Yeah. I’m pretty exhausted.” 

The two left the classroom together.

In her control room, Junko blanched. “Ugh. Those two are gross.”


	8. A Reprieve, Perhaps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monokuma's deadline approaches, and not everyone is convinced that they've shared their secrets before. Can Makoto convince them otherwise?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I wanted to say thank you for all the kind comments and kudos! It really keeps me going as a writer.

The next day, the entire group of students woke to a surprise; the gates to the second floor of the school had been opened. After a brief meeting in the dining hall, the twelve of them dispersed to investigate the floor, though Makoto filled them in on what to expect; the library, and the swimming pool. 

Asahina was ecstatic and had to be convinced by Sakura to put off swimming until after they had thoroughly gone over the second floor to make sure Junko hadn’t changed anything. Monokuma also reared his ugly head, advising them that if a boy tried to enter the woman’s dressing room, he would get filled with bullets from the gatling gun mounted on the wall. 

After a thorough sweep, the twelve students reconvened in the dining hall. As they did, a different announcement appeared on the screens in the school.

“Hem hem!” Monokuma said, “As a brief reminder, there are only 48 hours remaining before I reveal all of your deep, dark secrets! Do you think Naegi was being honest when he said you all already knew? Better make up your mind! And remember, give it your best shot!” 

“Hmm,” Byakuya hummed. “And you, you said Junko is camped out on the 4th floor?” 

Mukuro nodded. So far, Togami had refused to call her by her name, but she wasn’t particularly disturbed by the matter. The students, other than Makoto, still looked at her like she was dangerous, but they had done that for a long time anyway. “Yes. Though it won’t be easy to get to her.” 

“Of course, if you’re the mole, you could be lying altogether,” Celeste replied, with a big grin.

“Bold claim for someone who’s talent includes being a good liar,” Kyoko said, evenly. Yasuhiro and Hifumi snorted with laughter. 

“Well, what the fuck are we supposed to do if we can’t get even get up there?” Mondo grunted. 

“Junko, as the Ultimate Analyst, gets bored quickly,” Mukuro replied. “If we resist the motives long enough, she’ll get bored and try to keep things interesting. She’s trying to break the last remaining beacons of Hope to prove a point to the world.” 

“Right!” Makoto chimed in, “We’ll just have to prove to her she can’t break us!” 

“Our victory is assured!” Kiyotaka agreed, “None of us will be broken by despair again!” 

Makoto raised his hand for a high five, which Kiyotaka returned. Mukuro couldn’t help but smile; it was adorable. 

“Yes, well, if you’re done playing cheerleader, that doesn’t get us any closer to getting out of here.” Byakua said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He got up to leave. 

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Aoi cried, angrily. 

“If you want me to just sit and play nice while we wait out an evil mastermind, I’ll pass.” He sneered. “I’ll be in the Library, actually doing something productive.”

After he left, Yasuhiro looked to Makoto. “Did he ever outgrow that rotten attitude?”

“Uh... a little,” Makoto answered. It wasn’t a complete lie. 

“It can’t be helped.” Kyoko replied. “For now, all we can do is attempt to figure out a way to get to Junko. Keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual.” 

“Remain diligent!” Kiyotaka barked. “We’re still students and the remaining Hope of the world!” 

Taking that as a dismissal, Celeste left, followed quickly by Chihiro. Mondo shuffled out not long after that. 

“Hey, does anyone want to go for a swim with me?!” Aoi asked, excitedly. “Makoto? Sakura? Um... Mukuro was it?” 

Mukuro looked rather shocked. “Me?” 

“Sure!” She exclaimed. “A refreshing dip is great for stress relief!” 

Both Makoto and Mukuro remembered just what Aoi considered a, “refreshing dip.” It usually consisted of breaking some Olympic swimming record. Still, it wasn’t a bad idea. 

“Sure,” Makoto shrugged. “Might be nice.” 

The thought of a shirtless Makoto filled up Mukuro’s mind as well. Normally, Junko would tell her something perverted now and make her uncomfortable. Instinctively, she felt that way... but...

“I’ll um... I’ll go too.” Mukuro agreed.

“I’ll pass,” Kyoko replied. “I have some investigating I’d like to do on my own.” 

“I shall join later, I have a few reps I’d like to attempt,” Sakura added with a nod. 

Asahina, Makoto, and Mukuro left the dining hall to head up to the pool area. But as they did, Chihiro saw them from his dorm and came running up to them. Even the small jog seemed to leave the Programmer out of breath. 

“Ah, Makoto!” Chihiro gasped. “I was wondering if you could help me carry some stuff from the A/V room back to my dorm.” 

Makoto paused. Part of him thought it was... weird that Chihiro singled him out. Asahina and Mukuro were both way stronger than him. Still, not one to be impolite to a friend, he smiled and nodded. “Sure thing. I’ll be right up after you guys, okay?” 

Mukuro looked unsure, but Aoi was already nodding. “You’re so nice, Makoto! Come on Mukuro!” 

Asahina grabbed the Soldier’s hand and began pulling her towards the pool, the quiet protests of Mukuro falling on deaf ears. 

Makoto couldn’t help but smile. He’d always wanted Mukuro to find friends amongst the class.  
\------  
_Makoto was walking back to his dorm, and the crisp fall air made him shiver slightly. The school blazer didn’t offer a whole lot of protection against the cold. He’d have to pack a coat for these autumn days. He was glad the dorms weren’t too far from the class building for the Primary Course. He had just gotten a new manga shipped to him, and he was ready to delve into the latest murder mystery book that was all the rage lately._

_“Hey Makoto!” A chipper voice called out to him. He turned to see Sayaka and Asahina waving him down from the steps of the class building. “Come here!”_

_Curious, he walked over them to see what he could do for the two of them. “What’s up?”_

_“We were planning on putting together a class 78 movie night!” Sayaka said, cheerily. “We figured we could use the common area for our dorm on Friday nights.”_

_In the last six months that he had been at Hope’s Peak, he was glad that his class were growing very close with each other. Sayaka said Makoto was a big part of it, with his can-do attitude and his determination to include everyone in activities. He didn’t really see her point of view, but he appreciated it. “That sounds like a lot of fun!” He beamed. “What can I do to help?”_

_“That’s the spirit!” Aoi grinned. “Can you go see if we can use one of the projector’s from the A/V room?”_

_He hadn’t realized it was already Friday. “Oh jeez, this is last minute, huh?”_

_“Yeah, we had the idea at lunch,” Sayaka giggled. “But that’s why we need to go round everyone up. So we were hoping you’d get the equipment.”_

_“Sure thing!” He pounded a fist against his chest, “Leave it to me!”_

_“You’re the best!” Aoi beamed to him. The two girls took off. Makoto headed for the A/V room, and found girl from one of the classes sleeping at a kiosk._

_“Um, excuse me?” He asked._

_The girl lifted her head. It looked like she had fallen asleep while level grinding on Pokemon. “Hm?”_

_“Can I borrow one of the DVD projectors?” He asked._

_“Oh, I’m not part of the A/V club,” She yawned. “I just like to nap and game in here.”_

_“O-oh.” Makoto replied, awkwardly._

_“I’ve seen people sign the stuff out though,” the girl said. “It should be no problem.”_

_“Ah okay. Thanks!”_

_Eagerly, Makoto found a sign out sheet at the front of the classroom, signed out he was taking a projector and a cart, and began wheeling them out.._

_As his luck would have it, he of course got the cart with a busted fourth wheel. Every few steps down the cart would jam and stop, nearly tipping over as Makoto pushed it._

_It was a pain, but he figured it wasn’t a long trip back to the dorms._

_But as he got to the front door of the dorm room, the wheel jammed in the door. All his momentum carried him forward, tipping the projector forward..._

_... and into the arm’s of Mukuro Ikusaba._

_“Oh!” Makoto exclaimed. “Thanks, Mukuro! I’m so lucky you were there!”_

_“Well I was just about to leave,” she mumbled, righting the projector and helping Makoto lift the cart over the door lip. “Just in the right place at the right time.”_

_“Well, thank you,” he said again. “You’re always there to help me out.”_

_When she looked at him, she saw his smile. She blushed, furiously. Every time he did that. It set her heart (and face) ablaze. “It’s... not a big deal.”_

_“Oh! Are you going to be at the Class Movie night thing Sayaka and Aoi are throwing?” Makoto asked. “They said it was for the whole class, they just had to tell everyone.”_

_Mukuro kept her neutral expression. She knew Junko needed her to scout some members of the student counsel tonight in preparation for the Hope’s Peak Tragedy. “I’m not sure I can make that.”_

_Makoto frowned. “Oh... that’s too bad. I was looking forward to watching a movie with you. I have lots of popcorn to share.”_

_Mukuro’s face had to be crimson now. “S-sorry, Makoto.”_

_She left, hurriedly, to meet Junko. Makoto watched her leave, sadly. Class 78 was growing so close, but he felt like he was the only one getting close to Mukuro._  
\------

Makoto followed Chihiro, who handed Makoto a box of old parts. Makoto did his best not to strain under the weight. “What’s all this for, Chihiro?” 

“Just a few things on an A.I. I’m working on,” Chihiro said. He had a small smile, but it looked... forced. “I um... actually asked you in particular because I wanted to talk to you about something.” 

“Sure, Chihiro, what’s up?” 

The two began walking through the hall back to the dorms. Chihiro kept a focused gaze looking straight ahead. “Well... about the secret’s... you... already know mine, right?”

Makoto felt rather stupid; he should have known that this was what Chihiro wanted. “Y-yeah. I know you’re... you know... a boy.” 

Chihiro blushed. “Y-yeah. So... I already told everyone? And they...?”

“They were all cool with it.” Makoto assured him. “Even if Monokuma tells everyone in two days, it will be okay. We’ve all learned this stuff before, you know?”

Makoto followed Chihiro into his room and set the items down. “Thanks Makoto,” Chihiro said in a sigh of relief. “That’s what I wanted to know. I... I feel better knowing that I was able to do this once before.”

“No problem,” Makoto grinned. “And if you need anything, I’m here to talk.”

“Thanks. But for now, I want to get to work on this AI.” 

Makoto waved goodbye to his friend and decided to catch up with the girls. He could only hope that everyone else would take the situation just as well. 

He’d hoped that his knowledge of his friends feelings and tendencies would be enough to keep them together, to prevent any violence. But Junko’s memory erasing was a powerful tool. A twinge of regret tugged at his heart; he wished he had said something sooner. Would have it helped Sayaka and Leon? Would it have prevented the episode with Jack? 

He shook the thought out of his head as he approached the stairs to the second floor. This was Junko’s handiwork, and she was a mastermind who could orchestrate a push for societal collapse. Beating himself up was what she wanted. 

As he reached the pool, he was careful to make sure he used the entrance to the boys locker room. The gatling gun outside the girls room was hard to miss, but it still made him nervous he’d somehow use the wrong door and end up a piece of swiss cheese. 

He was surprised to see someone else in the weight and dressing room. It was Mondo. He was sitting on the weight bench, looking like he was in deep concentration about something.

Makoto paid Mondo no mind and changed into his swimsuit, ready to soak his worries away. 

“Hey,” Mondo called as Makoto approached the door to the pool. 

“What’s up, Mondo?” Makoto asked. But he froze up as he turned and saw the biker was holding a dumbbell. 

“Tell me...” Mondo said, not looking the shorter boy in the eye. “Tell me you don’t know my secret.”

“M-Mondo,” Makoto stuttered, nervously. “Mondo, you know my story. We’re friends, it’s -” 

“I would never.” Mondo grit his teeth. “NEVER. Tell anyone about how weak I am.” He clenched his free hand. “Let alone, let it be broadcast on TV.”

Makoto opened the door to the pool and slowly tried to back out into the area, but Mondo matched his footsteps, his stride larger than Makoto’s. “Mondo... I know about... your brother. We’ve all been there for you.”

“THAT’S BULLSHIT!” Mondo yelled. Out on the floor of the pool, his shouts echoed. “NO ONE GETS TO KNOW ABOUT DAIYA!” 

“Mondo, let’s talk about this,” Makoto pleaded.

It happened so quickly. Mondo said, quietly, “Sorry Makoto,” and raised the barbell above his head. But before he could move further, Mukuro had ran over from the pool, locked one arm around Mondo’s neck, and used her other hand to control the biker’s wrist, making him drop the barbell. 

“You’ve made a big mistake,” Mukuro hissed in his ear.

Mondo tried to wriggle free from her grasp and punch the soldier, but she twisted with him, bringing both arms to the biker’s head to snap his neck. 

“Don’t!” Makoto yelled. “Don’t hurt each other!”

Mukuro met his panicked gaze. She realized he was right. If she gave in and killed Mondo, even in defense of Makoto, she was still giving Junko a killing for the game. Instead, she grabbed the biker’s belt, and with great strength, threw him into the pool, leather jacket and all.

As the biker splashed and flailed his way over to the wall of the pool, Asahina shouted, “What the hell, Oowada?!”

Makoto’s heart hammered as he watched Mondo hang onto the side of the pool. He half expected the biker to lose his mind and try to keep attacking, but instead, Mondo just sat there, staring at the water. 

“Makoto, are you hurt?” Mukuro asked. Her eyes were blazing, still fueled by rage and adrenaline. She felt like she could tear through an entire battalion with her barehands.

“N-no,” Makoto assured her, holding his hands up. “I’m totally alright. I-I think he’s just worried about all the secrets airing.”

Mondo climbed out of the pool and sat on one of the bleacher’s staring at the pool blankly. 

“What the hell, Mondo?!” Aoi repeated, angrily. “What happened to outlasting the mastermind?!” 

Makoto bit his lip. While still terrified, he knew what Mondo’s secret was; the death of his brother due to their drag race. It had tortured Mondo for years, and he’d only revealed it right before the Tragedy had begun.

“You don’t fucking know,” Mondo spat. “That secret was supposed to die with me, but if Naegi knows it, then we got a problem.”

“The only problem here,” Mukuro spat back. “Is that you would try to take Makoto’s life instead of owning up to your past.”

“Real big fucking talking for someone who got us in this mess in the first place!” Mondo hissed.

“STOP!” Makoto yelled, making all three jump. “We need to stop this! This is just what Junko wants!” He turned to Mondo with a fire lit in his own eyes. “And if you want everyone who knows your secret to die, then you’ll have to kill your whole gang!” 

Mondo’s eyes widened. “The fuck does that mean?” 

“After you told me, and everyone else,” Makoto seethed, “We all convinced you that you weren’t really the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader if you couldn’t be honest with the Crazy Diamonds. So you told all of them.”

Mondo looked at Makoto like he was speaking a foreign language. “Are you fucking kidding me?” 

“No,” Makoto huffed. “I’m not.” His tone softed, though only slightly. “You’re better than this, Mondo.”

Mondo sat there, staring at the pool for minutes. Mukuro, Asahina, and Makoto all watched him, silently. As the biker stood up to leave, Mukuro immediately stood in front of Makoto to protect him. But Mondo just walked for the locker room. He did pause, briefly, in front of Makoto and Mukuro, and muttered, “Sorry, Naegi,” before ducking into the changing room.

“Jeez...” Aoi sighed, sadly. “Swimming is supposed to be happy times, and Mondo had to come and ruin it.” 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mukuro asked, turning to him once she was sure the coast was clear. She pat his face and shoulder’s gently, looking for wounds. “I know sometimes with adrenaline one might not realize they’re hurt until later.”

“I am!” Makoto smiled at her. “You’ve saved me again, Mukuro. Thank you so much! That could have gotten really ugly!”

Mukuro still felt like she was in defense mode. It was unusual for her; she could turn that sort of thing on and off for herself when battle was over. _I’ve never had this sort of feeling for anyone else,_ she realized.

“Hey.” Makoto said, reaching out and grabbing her hand. “Mukuro, it’s okay. He left. No one’s trying to kill us right now.”

“Ha...” she exhaled, trying to relax. “You could tell?”

“Y-yeah,” he chuckled, a bit embarrassed. “When you’re ready for combat, your eyes shift all over the place, like you’re looking for all the things in the room that’re hazardous. You first did it when we were in the bath house.” 

“And you still approached me to talk?” Mukuro asked, shocked. “I could have hurt you.”

“I didn’t think you would,” was his simple reply, with his usual smile. 

Once Mukuro’s adrenaline wore off, she realized her heart was still racing because a shirtless Makoto was holding her hand and smiling at her. She felt very... exposed in her one piece bathing suit, her pale legs allowing her to stand a little taller than Makoto.

Makoto was noticing too, realizing what he was doing. Still wet from the pool, Mukuro’s hair clung to her face, making her freckles more noticeable. He had to stop himself from looking down and staring at her chest or her muscular legs. He didn’t want to pop a -

They also became painfully aware that Asahina was still watching them as she cooed, . “Aw! You guys are so cute together!” 

The two of them stepped apart, both of them blushing “S-sorry.” Makoto apologized. 

“Well hey, why don’t we break the tension with a race!” Aoi suggested. “Mukuro’s actually pretty fast!” 

“Swimming is a good way to stay in shape and also relax,” Mukuro nodded. 

“Heh, okay, but I’m pretty sure you guys will leave me in the dust,” Makoto agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

The three of them spent some time swimming in the pool, Aoi completely decimating them altogether, and Makoto falling painfully behind as he expected. Still, it was definitely needed to set his mind at ease.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so... does anyone want a smut chapter of this eventually? Is it warranted? Do we not want it? Would it ruin the story? I dunno you guys tell me.


	9. Off Your Chest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout from Mondo's murder attempt comes to light, and class 78 tries to stand in the face of Junko's motives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with another chapter!
> 
> By the way, any sort smut wouldn't be until way later. I appreciate all the feedback!

After awhile, Makoto climbed out of the water to take a break. Mukuro did too, and Asahina showed no signs of stopping. The two sat down on some bleachers next to each other. 

“Feeling better?” Makoto asked.

She gave him a small smile and nodded. “Yes, I didn’t think swimming with other people would be enjoyable. Maybe I should have taken you up on some of those offers for movie nights or something like that.” 

“I wish you had,” he replied, wistfully. As he set his hand down, they both felt their hearts accelerate when his hand touched hers again. He left it there. 

“Me too. I never really did... normal... hanging out stuff. It was either work... which involved killing people, or extracting someone from behind enemy lines. Or... doing whatever thing Junko asked me to.” 

The two sat, watching Aoi swim back and forth. Makoto turned her words over in his head, like they were some sort of word-pancake. He couldn’t fathom that sort of his existence. Not that he considered his life particularly meaningful or glamorous... read manga, play video games, hang out with Komaru. “Well... if it makes you feel better, I’ve never really accomplished anything in my life,” he joked. 

She shook her head. “All of my accomplishments are tainted in bloodshed and nothing I want to be known for. And that’s not true, by the way, I’ve watched you be a beacon of light and kindness for an entire year while locked in this school. You’ve been the glue holding everyone together.”

“N-no, I don’t think I’m anything like that,” Makoto scoffed, embarrassed. “All I’ve done is...”

He trailed off, so Mukuro picked that as a good time to continue. “You’ve been an ear to talk to, a shoulder to lean on. You’ve offered unconditional support to every single one of us, taking an interest in everyone else’s interest. You’ve worked out with Sakura, you’ve done inkwork for Hifumi, vocal warmups with Sayaka, studied with Kiyotaka. You’ve been a support system for everyone.” She looked down. “Including myself, who probably deserves it the least.” 

Makoto’s face was dyed red in his embarrassment. “I don’t think it’s anything as great as you describe it... but I do hope I’ve been able to help everyone as much as you say I have. Like you said, I wish we could have done more... normal teenage stuff before all this happened. For your sake too.” 

She smiled. “If we get out... and can get things back to normal... what teenage stuff would you think I should do?” 

Makoto laughed. “I don’t know what’s even out there anymore. I would read manga, go to the movies, play video games. Stuff like that.”

“I’ve only ever played first person shooters for army simulation purposes.” Mukuro grinned. “Honestly, any of that would be nice to try. I’ve always wanted to just... go to a movie and eat popcorn.” 

“We should do that,” he replied. "You and me will go see a movie." Then his face turned scarlet, realizing he had just asked her on a date without even meaning to.

“Are you alright? Your face turned red.” Mukuro asked, face lighting up in a way Makoto had rarely seen before. “That would be fun though, I would adore that.” 

_I guess she didn’t pick up on it,_ he sighed. He realized what was going on, and it struck him that he hadn’t felt like this in a long time. He shook himself. _I’m not in a situation where I can think about..._

_...love?_

“Makoto?” Mukuro asked again. 

“Er, y-yeah,” Makoto said, rubbing the back of his head. “It’s a deal. When we get out, you and I can go do that when it’s safe. Do um... do you want to go get something to eat? I’m starving.” 

She nodded again. “I’m pretty famished.”

Waving to Aoi, the two left to get something to eat. Both of them felt like they were walking on air, in spite of their current circumstances.   
\------

Mondo sat in his room, staring at a picture of himself and Daiya. He could believe he’d let himself get this low. “Fuck, man. What would you say to me right now?”

After staring at the picture again for awhile, he sighed. “Right, you were the smart one. I don’t fucking know.”

His doorbell rang, and he stood, pocketing the photo. Opening the door, he saw Kiyotaka standing there. 

“Delinquent!” Kiyotaka said, pointing a finger at Mondo’s face. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Mondo grunted, vein popping in his forehead. “I already feel like shit for trying to kill Naegi, you don’t gotta -”

“YOU TRIED TO KILL NAEGI!” Kiyotaka screamed. “WHAT?! I WAS HERE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR CLOTHES!”

“Fuck,” Mondo slapped his forehead. 

“THIS IS AWFUL! WHERE IS NAEGI! IS HE OKAY?!” 

“I don’t know goddamn it, I left him at the pool with the swimmer and the soldier chick!” 

“WE MUST GO CHECK ON HIM,” Taka screamed. “WE MUST REPRIMAND AND FIX THIS AWFUL BEHAVIOR.”

“Fucking seriously?”   
\-----  
Makoto and Mukuro were sitting in the dining hall across from Kyoko, eating what Makoto had managed to prepare without screwing up. The other students, sans, Asahina, were all eating in there as well. Suddenly, Kiyotaka and Mondo entered the dining hall, yelling at each other.

“See? Look, there he fucking is!” Mondo scoffed, looking exasperated. 

“NAEGI! I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT OWADA TRIED TO TAKE YOUR LIFE!”

The room fell silent as everyone’s gaze shifted over to Makoto. He scratched the back of his neck, nervously. “I... I mean... yeah?”

Gasps went up all across the dining hall. “Whoa man, my crystal ball totally called this!” Yasuhiro yelled.

No one believed him.

“W-w-why would y-you do something so awful?!” Chihiro asked, tearing up. 

Sakura stood up, an intimidating aura encompassing her. “MONDO! Explain yourself!”

Mondo sighed. “Just... with the secrets thing... I lost my mind. I didn’t want it being broadcast around the world.” he rubbed the back of his neck. “The soldier girl kicked my ass anyway... and I deserved it.” 

Mukuro nodded. 

“Interesting,” Celeste said, fiddling with her nails. “We all supposedly knew these secrets of each others, but you still decided to murder instead of reliving it again.” 

“Sh-should we lock him up?” Hifumi asked, nervously. “What if he tries it again?” 

“I ain’t going to fucking try again, Makoto set me straight,” Mondo growled.

“G-guys, stop!” Makoto pleaded, standing up. “This is what Junko wants! This is the whole thing with the motives! She wants to tear us apart!” 

“What, going to stand up for your would-be murderer?” Byakuya sneered. “You’re as naive as they come.” 

“He’s right, though,” Kyoko replied, drawing everyone’s attention. “This sort of thing is playing right into her hand. The only thing that will change the course of this is to show her that these mind games will not work on us.” 

“Still... should there be some sort of consequence for Owada?” Sakura asked. 

“I don’t think we can just make him sit in the corner for fifteen minutes,” Yasuhiro muttered. 

“We could make him read the late Fukawa’s works,” Celeste replied, smiling, “I find them to be a chore to get through.” 

Makoto frowned. He hadn’t faced anything like this in the year they had spent locked in Hope’s Peak, and he was unprepared for what to do now. “Guys, this is ridiculous!” He raised his voice of the growing ruckus. “We shouldn’t be fighting each other right now! You’re punishing the symptom, not the disease.”

The words struck a chord, and silence fell over the room for a minute. Makoto continued. “Everything going on right now is just a domino effect from what Junko set up. Mondo freaking out is her doing. Without her influence, we told each other these secrets anyway! Of our own choice! She’s trying to break us. She’s the... disease.” He looked to Mukuro, guiltily. “S-sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she shook her head. “You aren’t incorrect.” 

“Maybe... maybe we should talk about all of our secrets now, and get them out in the open?” Makoto suggested. “That way... that way we can trust each other.” 

“Easy to say that from the perspective of two people whose secrets were already revealed,” Byakuya laughed. 

But before anyone else could say anything, Chihiro blurted out. “I’m actually a boy.” 

A pause crashed over the dining hall for a second or two before Hifumi howled. “YOU’RE WHAT?!”

“Jeez, what the fuck Chihiro?” Mondo shouted.

Chihiro’s eyes watered. “I... I was born relatively frail, so I didn’t get as much exercise as other boys. I... I was given a lot of grief for not living up to expectations of manliness... so... I... have been dressing as a girl for a long time...” 

“I should have foreseen this,” Yasuhiro mumbled. 

Makoto stepped forward. “Thank you, Chihiro. I want you to know you were just as brave telling us the first time.” 

Chihiro gave Makoto a weak smile. “You know... when Junko first said someone was lying about who they were... I thought she meant me.”

“That’s classic Junko. Make a statement that can qualify for more than one person. Make more people torment.” Mukuro advised. She gave Chihiro a small smile as well. “And volunteering that is very brave of you.”

“I too shall confess my secret!” Kiyotaka said. “For I am moved by the manly display of Fujisaki’s!”

“M-manly?!” Chihiro blushed. 

Kiyoataka nodded, and explained, it great and lengthy detail, how his grandfather was a disgraced prime minister. “And that is why I must always give my best! To restore my family name above those who are handed everything from birthright!” 

“Shit, man... that’s intense.” Mondo muttered.

“Yes, ‘man,’ it was intense!” Taka confirmed. “Come on! You seem like someone who values manliness and passion! Join Chihiro and I in the manliness of confession.”

“Yeah!” Chihiro cheered. “You can do it!”

“What... What am I watching?” Byakua asked, bewildered. He rubbed his forehead. "This is giving me a migraine. I hate it. I hate all of this."

Celeste pitched her fingers under her chin. “I do believe these three have lost their minds, Togami.” 

Sakura just smiled. “They have become confident in themselves. It is a way to unlock the greatest potential within.”

Mukuro looked to Makoto and whispered. “Did you... think this would happen?” 

He shook his head and whispered back, “no, honestly, I’ve been winging this whole thing since day one. Kinda lame, I know...”

Mukuro smiled. In her eyes, she just saw it as a side effect of Makoto’s personable demeanor. He really could bring out the best in everyone. 

“Alright, alright...” Mondo grunted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess better me than the stupid stuffed bear. So...I had a brother... named Daiya.” 

Everyone in the dining hall listened patiently as Mondo recounted his story, leading to Daiya’s Heroic Sacrifice to save Mondo. By the end of the story, Chihiro, Hifumi, Yasuhiro, Kiyotaka, and Mondo himself were in tears. 

“And... IT’S MY FUCKING FAULT HE’S DEAD!” Mondo howled.

To everyone’s surprise, Taka jumped forward and embraced Mondo. “NO OWADA! YOUR MANLY DISPLAY TODAY HONOR’S YOUR BROTHER’S LEGACY! HE WOULD BE PROUD OF YOU!”

Mondo could only sniffle and shout, “THANKS BRO!”

“BROOOOOO!”

“Bro!” Chihiro shouted through tears, voice cracking. 

“Bring it in, bro!” Mondo cried, pulling Chihiro into the group hug.

Byakuya stood up abruptly. “I am going to the library to try and forget this whole thing ever happened.” 

“I do believe I would like to be anywhere that isn’t here as well,” Celeste said through her manufactured smile. 

The two of them left rather quickly, leaving the sight of the new bonds of bromance that was forming between Chihiro, Mondo, and Taka. 

Kiyoko folded her arms from the table, and looked back at Makoto. “I do hope you’re happy with yourself.”

“M-me?” Makoto asked, pointing to himself.

“Yes,” she smirked, “you’ve somehow turned this into a confessional.” 

He scratched his cheek. “I uh... guess it’s better than what was happening before.” 

“If only some of the others were as forthcoming as these three, the motive would be thwarted altogether,” Mukuro sighed, crossing her arms. 

“Do you by any chance know what the other motives are?” Kyoko asked.

Mukuro shook her head. “No. Junko didn’t involve me in plans that didn’t directly affect my role. I guess in retrospect, it’s pretty clear why.” 

Looking at the clock, Makoto yawned. “It’s getting late. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” 

“M-me too,” Mukuro blurted out. “I’ll walk with you.” 

Kyoko looked between the two of them and smirked even more. “Alright then. Goodnight, you two.” 

Once the two got back into the hall, Makoto let out an exhale. “What a day, huh? I’m exhausted. Especially watching Mondo, Chihiro and Taka like that.” 

Mukuro shook her head, a small, wistful smile on her face. “I’ll never understand how you do that.”

That wasn’t the reaction Makoto had expected, so he tilted his head and asked. “Hm? What do you mean?” 

“Everything you said about Mondo,” Mukuro replied. “It was only a few hours ago he tried to cave your skull in with free weights. And you can find it in your heart to forgive him and focus on Junko. Even I still feel mad at him.” 

“W-well, it’s not like I’m just... over it, you know?” He rubbed the back of his head. “I mean, I’m not going to volunteer to hang out with him one on one anytime soon... but I have to recognize that’s not his fault and he’s just working through trauma.” A frown spread across his face. “The more I think about the memory erasure, the worse it makes me feel. We all grew so much together. All of that was taken from us.” 

“That, like everything else, was so Junko could watch you all despair,” she sighed. “Once you found out, it’d fill you with despair to know everything that had been lost in two years. I’m sure watching you despair over it these past few days has been nothing short of a blast for Junko.” 

“Lucky me,” Makoto scoffed. 

“Probably lucky for all of us,” she replied, seriously. “I doubt anyone would have handled it as well as you.”

He blushed. “I think you’re overestimating me. I’m pretty naive.” 

She shook her head. “No, you’re underestimating you.” By now, they were in front of Makoto’s door. “I know you think you don’t belong in a class of Ultimates. It was always clear you felt... inferior. But I wouldn’t want you to be anyone else but you. There’s nothing wrong with you. Or, if there was, it would be your inability to recognize your own strengths. I could never see you being anyone else but you, and I mean that in the best way.” 

Makoto’s face was scarlet at this point. “Wow... th-thanks Mukuro. That... that actually really means a lot to me.”

Mukuro smiled. Makoto noticed she’d been doing that a lot ever since the incident with the spears. Every time he saw it, his heart fluttered and his stomach did flips. “I’m glad. Good night, Makoto.”

“G-good night, Mukuro.” 

As she walked back to her room, Mukuro felt strange. Almost like she wasn’t herself. _Or maybe I’m changing?_

She was still the Ultimate Soldier - she hadn’t missed a beat when taking down Mondo. But she felt so different ever since. She could only suspect it had something to do with the fact she was no longer living her life for the sole purpose of fighting or making her sister happy. For the first day in her life, she was just... being. Not for Fenrir, or Junko, but just living. _Maybe it’s possible to be the Ultimate Soldier, and just be... a person too. A person who likes to swim and goes to movies and plays video games -_

She unlocked the door to her room during this train of thought, and saw Monokuma sitting on her bed, waiting for her. _Or maybe not._

She froze, staring down Monokuma. “What do you want?” 

“Despair across the whole world. Duh. You never did pay attention, you dumbass!” 

Mukuro narrowed her eyes. Junko was using Monokuma’s voice modulator for whatever reason. “I’ll be more specific; why are you in my room?” 

“That’s how you ask a question properly, you ignorant slut.” Monokuma laughed. “Speaking of, could you throw your vagina at Naegi any harder? You know you have to make the first move. He’s an herbivore man.” 

Mukuro didn’t move a muscle, just continued to stare down her sister’s puppet. 

“No comments from the peanut gallery?” Monokuma chuckled. “Puhuhu! I guess you’re trying to be tough now that we aren’t friends anymore. How disappointing and predictable. Come on sis. You really think you can beat me by just sitting around and singing kumbaya with these idiots?” 

“I know you,” Mukuro replied, calmly. “You might not think it, but if anyone knows you, it’s me. You’ll get bored.” 

“And when I get bored, I’ll just gas you all to death. Or maybe use spears.” 

“But that’s boring.” Mukuro replied. “And it doesn’t get your point across to the audience.” 

Monokuma was silent for a minute. “You’re being a real pain in the ass. Here I was, ready to give you a chance to come back, and you had to go and make me mad.”

Mukuro’s heart skipped a beat and began racing. It was a different type of nervousness than she got from Makoto. This was excitement and... fear.

She thought she had gotten away. Maybe she should have known better. 

“Wh...what do you mean?” 

“Puhuhu!” Monokuma giggled, covering its mouth. “Are you interested? I think there’s a way we both give each other what we want!” 

“You’ve never really cared about what I want, Junko.” Mukuro replied. “I don't intend to believe you’re going to start now.”

“Wow, maybe you do have a brain rolling around in that thick skull of yours!” The bear replied. “You’re right! But, our interests can line up, you see.” 

Mukuro said nothing.

She had snuck some weapons for herself in, as Junko had requested, but those weren’t any good against Monokuma. She knew where to strike the bear to disable the self-destruct sequence, but that was about the best she had. She was going to hear Junko out whether she liked it or not. 

“You clearly want to get in Makoto’s pants. I’ve seen it. Now the whole world is seeing it,” Monokuma continued, “I think it’s gross and no one would ever want a disgusting fuck like yourself. But regardless of what I think, I’ll make a special exception to the rules just for my big sis.” 

“And what’s that?” Mukuro asked. 

“Easy!” Monokuma laughed. “Kill everyone else besides you and Naegi, and I’ll let the two of you go!” 

Her eyes widened. That was...

“I could never...” Mukuro began.

“Oh? You couldn’t?” The bear questioned. “What about that whole middle school class I’ve had you gun down?” 

Mukuro’s chest tightened. Even for her, that had been a dark day.

“Or those hundreds and thousands left dead in the desert?” Monokuma pressed on. “You’ve killed! You’ve killed and killed and killed and killed! Who has killed more than you! Why would ten more people be any different!”

Mukuro could feel the all-too-familiar feeling of despair welling up inside of her chest. 

Junko could see it, even through the lenses of the stuffed bear. “Don’t tell me a few hours of pretending you’re a normal teenage girl made you forget that you’re a ruthless killer, Mukuro. Even if you put on a happy face and play with the others, you don’t deserve a life like that. You’ve got too much blood on your hands. Do you think Makoto could ever love someone like you?”

Mukuro stared at her feet. If she focused on what spot on the ground and did her best to shut out what Junko was saying, she could get past her sister’s persuasiveness. She clenched her fists at her side. Just stay stone faced. _Turn your emotions off again._

But another little voice in the back of her head asked, _could he?_

“Besides, even if you get out with all of them, how do you think the rest of the Ultimate Despair will feel about your betrayal?” Junko continued to taunt. “You’ll have to protect them all... it will be impossible! Even for you!” 

Mukuro stared at the speck on the ground. She’d ignore it. She could protect her class if it came down to it. The yakuza had numbers, and the mechanic had machines, but she could overcome them if need be.

“Wow, I can’t believe an insect like you grew a spine!” Monokuma laughed. “You used to jump on command! But I know you’ll cave. Just imagine; you and Makoto, all alone. Or even better! You can stay here! You can raise your ugly ass babies in this shelter! I’ll even keep bringing you food and keep the air purifier on!” 

Mukuro kept staring. Part of her, deep in her chest, was screaming to take the task; to go back to how things were, to the familiar, to the stability of making Junko happy. 

But...

Makoto was close with her today because he was glad to have her on his side, right?

And Asahina invited her to swim. Kyoko was friendly with her. 

They didn’t ask her to kill anyone or stab anyone in the back to make them happy. 

“You keep pretending to be strong, Mukuro Ikusaba,” Monokuma giggled. “But you’ve just grown weak. If you can’t kill, it’s because you got weak. I’ll see you at the next class trial!” 

The bear disappeared. But even still, Mukuro continued to stare at the same spot on the floor, worried that if she broke her concentration, she’d fall right back into her sister’s hands. When she finally did look up, she thought about the knife sewn into the hem of her skirt. 

She shook her head and collapsed onto her bed. 

Junko had ruined what had turned out to be a pretty good day.


	10. Fighting Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chihiro develops something that could help in the fight against Junko, and Makoto gives him a little guidance on what needs to be done.

Makoto stepped out of the bathroom, glad he could make it before the nighttime announcement. It went off right when he was done. 

He frowned as he looked at his room. Even with the changed bed, the cleaned room, he felt like he could still smell blood in there. It was a smell burned into his mind, haunting him whenever he closed his eyes. 

Still, he laid down his bed and tried to think of other things. When he did, his mind drifted to the time he’d spent with Mukuro, swimming and talking. 

He wondered if they could make it out, together. It still sounded bad outside. They’d have to stop Junko if the Tragedy would ever end. 

He wondered if there was hope for her as well. He’d described her as a disease, but if Mukuro could be convinced, could she? 

_Probably not,_ he thought, as he began drifting off. _But for Mukuro’s sake, I hope it doesn’t come to that._

He fell asleep, thinking of a dark-haired soldier with a pretty, soft laugh.  
\------  
The next morning, Byakuya and Celeste did not join the others in the dining hall. It was less than surprising considering their reaction to Taka, Mondo, and Chihiro’s interactions the night before. 

Asahina and Sakura were sitting together, Aoi practically falling asleep with her head resting against the table. 

“You okay?” Makoto asked as he sat down with his own breakfast. 

“I was swimming until the nighttime announcement,” she yawned. “Forgot to eat even. Now I’m exhausted and starving.” She popped a donut in her mouth. “Sho good.” 

“You would do well to make sure you take care of yourself in the future,” Sakura said, sternly. “I do not wish to see you go hungry.” 

“Ooookay.” 

Makoto smiled. It was like the memory wipe hadn't done a thing to damage their relationship. They had always been closer than anyone else in the class.

He saw Kiyotaka, Mondo, and Chihiro talking at another table. The word bro could be heard every few words, and they seemed... Really happy. He smiled. This was an improvement. A step in the right direction. 

He sat down across from Kiyoko, who was sipping some coffee and looking at her notepad. “Ah, good morning Makoto.” 

“Hey,” he replied. “Whatcha got there?”

“Something I came across. Are you busy after this?” 

He tilted his head. “No, why?” 

“The less said about it, the better,” Kyoko replied, eying the cameras. 

“O-oh. Sure.” 

Makoto kept looking towards the door to the dining hall. He was hoping that Mukuro could possibly join them in whatever it was. 

She never came though. As the two finished their meals, Kyoko wasted no time in leading Makoto out of the dining hall towards the second floor.  
\------  
In her room, Mukuro was watching the time tick by as she sat on her bed. She didn’t want to face her classmates while they were all eating breakfast. Not when Junko had just tried to tempt her into killing all of them. She didn’t know why, but she knew if she was in there, she would think about just how... easy it was.

Barring Sakura, none of her classmates posed a threat to her. Even Mondo, how his strength, was sloppy and unrefined. 

She looked down at her hands. It would have been so easy yesterday. So easy to just snap his neck. Or hold his head into the pool. 

But then she thought of Makoto’s face. How hurt he had been when he saw Sayaka had killed Leon. The horror on his face at Sayaka’s murder.

Further still, some of her classmates were letting her in, too. Asahina and Kirigiri were at least being friendly with her. It didn’t feel right imagining their necks in her hands. 

When she was working in Fenrir, there were people she couldn’t kill. Superiors, comrades... it was just professional courtesy. But she had a different feeling of being unable to kill now. It was foreign to her, and she didn’t know if this was good or not. 

Was she getting weak?

Who was she, if she was weak? 

She didn’t feel weak. _Do weak people feel weak?_

She propped her chin up on her wrists, contemplating her next course of action. As she did though, her stomach rumbled. 

“Might as well get something to eat.” 

As she stood up, a school announcement chimed. 

“Hem hem!” Monokuma said, on the screen, “As a reminder, only 24 hours remain until I reveal alllllll your dirty little secrets! Do your best, students!” 

Mukuro scowled. She had to stay on her guard, too. While Taka, Mondo, and Chihiro seemed contented with their secrets, that still left a few students unaccounted for. 

She left for the dining hall, passing Chihiro, Taka, and Mondo on the way. Seeing her, Chihiro asked her, excitedly, “Oh, Mukuro! Come here, I want to show you all something cool I found.” 

Mukuro blinked, confused. Was this an ambush? Were the three of them hoping they could overpower her? She didn’t sense any will intent from them, and neither of them looked nervous like they were about to engage in something dubious. Cautiously, she nodded. “Sure. Lead the way.” Even still, her mind whirred; there sixteen ways she could kill them all swiftly in the bathhouse. 

Twenty-even if she took her time.

She snapped herself out of those thoughts and followed.  
\------

Makoto was a bit confused when Kyoko stopped abruptly in front of the second floor boy’s bathroom. “What’s up?” 

“Get in,” Kyoko said, abruptly. 

“Wh-what?!” Makoto replied, surprised. “But I don’t have to go right now.” 

Rolling her eyes, Kirigiri grabbed his hand and said, “I want you in there.” 

Makoto’s face went red. “Wh-”

Before he could object, Kyoko practically dragged him into the boys room and let go of his hand. 

“Sorry,” she apologized, “I wanted to make Junko think this was something sexual to throw off suspicion. Truth be told, this is one of the few places without a camera in it, like the bathhouse.” 

“J-jeez,” Makoto replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well it’s just a bathroom, right? What’s so special about this?” 

Kyoko led him over to the stall at the end, and opened it. It looked like a fairly standard bathroom... until she pushed a tile on the wall, and a hidden compartment opened. 

“Whoa!” He yelped. “How did we never know about this?” 

“Well, I first assumed this was either a hidden compartment Junko used as a base for her planning,” Kyoko speculated, “Or something my father set up as his own personal shelter or getaway from the students.” 

Makoto scanned the hidden room, finding multiple paper files and books along the bookshelf, “Have you looked through all these things?”

She nodded. “I have, yes. So far, I’ve only found records on the history of the school, other classes, and our own student profiles.” She smirked. “I was able to confirm the history you and Mukuro told me. You were right about me being the Ultimate Detective?”

“Did you... not believe me?”

“I had a feeling you were right, but it’s nice to have the confirmation,” she replied. “Can’t be too careful in these conditions.” 

“I guess you’re right.” He admitted. 

“But beyond that, I was able to confirm the Tragedy of Hope’s Peak, and the Tragedy itself, from my father’s most recent records.” She said. “From that, I was able to confirm this was a secret study my father set up.”

“A place even Junko didn’t know about,” Makoto awed. He looked at the rather empty desk that was in the middle of the room. “I wish there was more in here that was able to help us. Like a spare key or something.” 

“Well, there may be one thing,” Kyoko replied. She pointed to the ethernet port on the side of the wall. “If we can find something to hook up to that, perhaps we can reach someone on the outside... assuming there is something out there.”

“There is,” Makoto nodded. “It’s not... great out there, and while some countries are more devastated by way, civilization didn’t collapse altogether or anything like that. I don’t know how well it’d work, but it might be worth a shot. We should see if Chihiro has anything.”

“My thoughts exactly,” she nodded, smirking. “I knew you’d come to that conclusion.” 

“Maybe we should check with Mukuro too, to make sure this isn’t possibly a trap set up by Junko.” He suggested.

Kyoko said nothing, her face reverting to stoicism. “Perhaps... but if she is the mole, that would play right into Junko’s hands...” 

He frowned. “I... I really don’t think she is.” 

“But can you know for sure?” She asked. “You need to be able to put your feelings aside and ask yourself, logically and with certainty, can you be absolutely sure she is no longer working with Junko?” 

Makoto looked to his feet. “How can someone know something like that with 100% certainty? The problem there is... I can say that about anyone. Even Chihiro.”

Her eyes widened. “I suppose that’s true. Still. I would ask for you to keep this secret. Even Chihiro is a risk, but we have to take it as he’s the only one who could help us in this scenario.” 

He shifted uneasily. “O... okay. I’ll keep it a secret for now.”  
\------  
“Whoa... what am I looking at, bro?” Mondo asked. 

Mukuro had to admit. She was confused too. Chihiro had hidden a laptop in one of the lockers in the bathhouse. In it, there was a pixelated version of Chihiro’s face on the screen, smiling back at the four of them. 

“Well... this is a strong Artificial Intelligence I created.” Chihiro explained, embarrassed. “Go on, tell them!” He said to the screen.

The version of Chihiro on the screen spoke. “Hi! I’m Alter Ego. Chihiro created me to be a learning artificial intelligence. I hope we get along.”

“When did you have time to do something like this?” Mukuro asked.

“Well, I would throw myself into the work after dinner,” Chihiro asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “It helped me deal with everything. And I finally made the breakthrough I needed!”

“This is revolutionary!” Taka exclaimed. “This is amazing, bro! Once we get out, this will change the world!” 

Mukuro couldn’t really think of an objection. Junko hadn’t even created anything like this, and she had ripped off many of Chihirio’s programs for the Tragedy. She wasn’t good at creating these things from scratch, but she could easily understand someone else’s work and copy it.

It made her nervous; if Junko found out about this, it could be catastrophic. 

“Make sure you leave this in here,” Mukuro advised. “I wouldn’t want to risk the Mastermind finding out.”

“Oh, me either!” Chihiro advised, happily. “That would be awful! This is work I hope to benefit mankind and help rebuild the Tragedy! A strong AI like this is capable of doing many jobs autonomously!” 

Mukuro gave a small smile. “That would be very helpful, certainly. Let’s make sure we protect this.”

The programmer nodded. “I wanted to show the others.” His face fell. “Oh, but there might still be a mole, right? Should I not?”

Mukuro paused. “Well... I can’t say for certain. I don’t think the idea would have been brought up if it wasn’t possible. But... I have no idea who it might be. I’m fairly certain it isn’t Makoto or Kyoko... but even her I can’t be absolutely sure of.”

“If any fuckers tried messing with Alter Ego, I’d set ‘em straight,” Mondo growled. “No one messes with my bro’s program.”

“Would that possibly be called a bro-gram?” Taka suggested, in complete seriousness.

Chihiro groaned. “That joke is awful!”  
\------  
Makoto and Kyoko began walking towards the stairs to the first floor, and passed Sakura and Asahina on their way to the pool. Aoi seemed completely refreshed after her breakfast, though both of them advised the smaller pair they hadn’t seen Chihiro since he left the cafeteria. They figured the sooner they could ask the programmer, the better. 

They were surprised to see Chihiro, Mondo, and Taka leaving the bathhouse, with Mukuro following behind them. 

“Fujisaki,” Kyoko called. “A word, if you please.” 

Chihiro waved the other three off, and went to talk to Makoto and Kyoko. Makoto and Mukuro made eye contact, smiling at each other. Mukuro realized she still hadn’t eaten, and decided now was as good of a time as any to do so. 

“Perfect timing!” Chihiro beamed. “I wanted to show you guys something... um... as long as neither of you guys are the mole.” His face fell. “I guess if you were the mole you wouldn’t just come out and tell me though.”

“We can swear not to go spreading the information,” Kyoko assured the programmer. “We have some sensitive information to discuss with you as well.” 

“Oh-oh.” His eyes widened. “Okay. Well, come with me.”

Chihiro led Makoto and Kyoko to the bathhouse, explaining and introducing Alter Ego to Makoto and Kyoko. Like Mondo, Mukuro, and Taka, they were sufficiently amazed at what the programmer had done in such a short amount of time.

“That’s amazing!” Makoto beamed. “That will change the world with everything that happened after the Tragedy.” 

“That’s what Mukuro was saying,” Chihiro replied, happily. “I’m glad my work can be so beneficial.” 

“It might even be beneficial to us now...” Kyoko said, rubbing her chin. “We found something you might be able to help us with.”

“Sure!” The programmer said, smiling. “I’m more than happy to be able to help my friends. You guys have all been so accepting!” 

Kirigiri explained the hidden room she located on the second floor in the men’s room. Chihiro’s eyes lit up when the detective mentioned an ethernet port. 

“I don’t know how well I’d be able to contact the outside world... that would be dependent on if there is an internet connection in the school right now,” Chihiro explained. “That would be a security risk for Junko. Even if she is using a local wireless network to control the Monokumas, as I can only assume she is, it would need to be a closed network intranet.” 

“Well,” Makoto rubbed his chin, “If we’re thinking about what we know, this is being broadcast across the whole world. Reaching the outside world isn’t the problem. If someone is trying to come save us... they’re already out there.” 

“Then maybe I can use something to get into Junko’s intranet and hack what she’s doing?” Chihiro suggested. “I’m not much for hacking, which is a little different, but maybe if I can get into her code I can shut down the Monokuma’s, or even the door. But...”

“But?” Kyoko asked. 

“There’s a chance a new device being hooked onto the intranet will notify the mastermind,” Chihiro said, hesitantly. “I can hook Alter Ego up to it, to run the code automatically, but... well, it’s my only copy.” 

“If we’re able to get you another device of some kind, or parts for a device, would you be able to install a copy of Alter Ego?” Makoto asked. “That way you wouldn’t lose your work.”

“Yes! I would love that!” Chihiro exclaimed. “It's been driving me insane not to be able to back up any of my progress.”

“There has to be something we could use,” Kyoko pondered. “We’ll let you know what we find.” 

“Okay,” Chihiro beamed. “I’ll be here if you need me!” 

Makoto and Kyoko left the bath house, and the detective turned to the boy abruptly. “I worry time may be of the essence. We may want to split up. I’ll check the storage room and you check the archive for the library. Let’s report back to the dining hall with our findings.” 

“Sure thing,” he agreed. 

He turned and took off for the second floor, excited. It was somewhat promising, that what they could be doing is something that could stop Junko. Up until now, he’d felt so powerless. But being able to help so many of his friends was restoring some of his hope, and he eagerly sprang up into the Library. 

As he swung the door open, he saw Byakuya slouched against a chair, reading a book. The two made eye contact, but the heir quickly went back to reading, clearly with no interest in Makoto’s presence. Hifumi was also rummaging through the library; upon closer inspection, he was inserting copies of his own work for distribution among the other books. Makoto figured he’d leave him alone too. 

Makoto walked up and down the library and into the archive, but unfortunately, there was no sign of any sort of technological device anywhere. 

Discouraged, he retreated back towards the dining hall. 

He passed by the men’s room on the second floor. He tried not to stare at it as he did, but he couldn’t help but wonder what Junko knew of it, if at all. He wanted to ask Mukuro. _I promised though..._

Keeping secrets from the soldier was the last thing he wanted to do. Even when conflicted, she’d only been honest with him.

As if on cue, he passed Mukuro as she left the dining hall. “Hey,” he said, smiling. “I missed you at breakfast.” 

He blushed after saying it. _Why did I word it like that?_

Her cheeks took a pink tinge too. “D-did you? S-sorry. Had a late start today.” She brushed some hair away from her eyes. “Where have you been running around to today?” 

“Kyoko and I were doing some investigating,” he said. “Trying to figure if there were any nooks or crannies we overlooked.”

“Any luck?” She asked. 

Makoto cringed. He should have just made up some other excuse. He glanced at the camera, and Mukuro noticed him do so. “N-no.” 

Makoto’s mind raced. Maybe there was a way to see if Mukuro knew anything about the hidden room without revealing it. Maybe then he wouldn’t have to lie to anyone? “Are you up to anything right now?” 

Mukuro looked flustered. “N-nothing at the moment. Why?” 

“You want to just... walk around with me?” He asked. “Nothing much else to do.” 

“Sure,” she smiled. “I’d be happy to.” 

“Okay,” he grinned, “Sounds good. I just need to let Kyoko know something really quick, okay?” 

“Or, sure, I’ll um... wait right here?” 

“Alright, be right back.” 

Makoto went bounding into the dining hall, where Kyoko was already waiting. Not too surprising since the storage room was was right next to the cafeteria. He wondered briefly if she had sent him to be out of the way, but he shook the thought from his head. “I didn’t have any luck,” he told her. “How about you?”

“I was able to find a few things.” Kyoko replied. “I already gave them to Chihiro, so we just need to give him time to do his work.”

Makoto gave a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I couldn’t find anything in the Archive than some dusty old files and police records.” 

“I had a feeling, but I just wanted to cover more ground, just in case.” Kyoko replied. “Thank you for your help. Remember what we talked about earlier, okay?” 

He knew that she was referring to the hidden room; no one other than the two of them or Chihiro could know about it. He nodded. “I know. I won’t say anything.” 

Makoto turned to meet back up with Mukuro and began to have second thoughts...using exact wording and telling half-truths was the sort of thing Monokuma and Junko would be doing to plant seeds of distrust among the others. Maybe he’d just go ahead and keep it a secret, and spend what precious time he could with the others instead. 

As he left the dining hall, he saw Mukuro waiting for him, her face perking up when he came into view. He couldn’t help but notice that ever since the first trial and the time they spent together, she looked... happier. She was still rather shy and a little reserved, but before she had been separated from her sister, she always was holding back. He always figured she kept others at an arms length because of her experiences. 

He just never would have guessed what those experiences actually entailed. 

The two walked the length of the first floor and, naturally, decided to go upstairs and check on Aoi since she had been in the pool for quite a few hours at this point. Makoto passed Yasuhiro on the way out in the locker room, though no words were exchanged. 

After making sure she was alright swimming the pool alone, the two walked the length of the second floor, pausing only at the staircase to the third. Mukuro stopped and stared up.

“Only two floors separates us from her.” She said. “You know, I’ve sworn to stop her, but I haven’t thought about what I’ll do when I actually face her again.” 

“Well... it’s complicated for sure.” Makoto assured her. “It sounds like she was the only family you had for years, even if the relationship wasn’t great.”

She nodded. “Yes... our parents died when we were very young. It wasn’t easy for us. We were homeless for sometime. I was always fending off someone or something.”

“You’ve been protecting her for a long time,” he said. “I’m sure this all feels unnatural.” 

“Yes... I feel like I’m turning into something else completely,” Mukuro gave a small smile. “Not that the change can’t be for the better, but everything these last few days has felt like... like my mind has split into two people.”

“What do you mean?” Makoto asked.

“There’s the... the old me, or the me I’m used to being.” She explained. “The me that is always calculating the most direct or easiest way to counter an oncoming attack, or ways to kill everyone in the room. The me that was only happy when I could be useful to Junko, otherwise I was just a tool in a kit, ready to be used. The other...”

She paused, thinking over how to phrase it. “It’s as if... the past few days I’ve been a me that never really existed. A me that could express my own thoughts and desires. Never before has anyone asked if I wanted to swim, or play games, or see movies. And I never thought about what I wanted to do for me. Maybe this is the whole... creating my new future thing you were talking about.”

“I’m sure it is,” Makoto assured her, smiling. “You can’t just expect to deprogram your way of life in just a few days.”

Mukuro turned to him, frowning. “I know... which is why I must tell you a secret.”

“What’s that?” 

“Junko came to talk to me last night.”

“Sh-she was in the dorm?!” Makoto asked, jumping back.

“N-not in person,” Mukuro replied. “Just as Monokuma. She... she offered to let me back into her good graces, provided I did something for her.” 

“I have a feeling it wasn’t something I’m going to like to hear,” he replied, a sardonic smirk on his face. 

“No,” she sighed. “I would have to kill everyone in this school... except me or you.”

Makoto’s jaw dropped. “That’s insane!” 

“I said the same thing. But she knows how to get under your skin. She reminded me of all the other lives I’ve ended. Made it sound like... you know, what’s ten more?” She shook her head. “And the whole time after, and this morning, all I could think of was... was worrying about slipping into the old me.”

Makoto hesitantly reached over and grabbed her arm. “I won’t let that happen.”

Mukuro looked up into his eyes, and for the first time, Makoto saw a hint of fear in those pale blue orbs. “It’s not that easy, Makoto. I don’t...” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to hurt you. Or Aoi, or Kyoko, or Chihiro, or any of the others. But...”

“But?” He echoed. 

“You don’t understand,” Mukuro sighed. “Once I know Junko wants something, the old me: Junko’s Soldier has a hard time ignoring it. All day today, every time I saw someone, I couldn’t help but think of all the ways to kill them.”

His eyes widened. “That’s... intense.”

“You don’t know the half of it. The whole time I was in the bathhouse, I was trying to ignore the various ways I could easily have killed Mondo, Taka, and Chihiro.” She looked to her feet. “Even on this walk...I couldn’t help but look at something and think, ‘I could smash Makoto’s head against that,' or, 'I could throw Mondo into the sauna and turn it up all the way.'” 

He frowned. “But... would you want to?”

“No!” She blurted out, abruptly, taking both of them by surprise. “Makoto, you have to understand, I have never wanted to hurt you.” 

His smile returned. “Then... that’s okay.”

“It can’t possibly be that easy.”

“No, maybe not, but we have to make sure we focus on what you want,” he replied. “You can’t expect to just deprogram your battle instincts in a few days. Your Talent is to know how to...” He paused to choose his words, “Eliminate people as efficiently as possible. You’ve been trained by Junko to always be using that. She knows that and wants to take advantage of it. Like I said, I won’t let you turn into anything you don’t want to be.” He grabbed her hands. “I promise. I’m glad you told me.”

Mukuro’s face flushed with color. “I’m glad too. I... to be honest Makoto, I feel like I can tell you anything.”

A pang of guilt went up Makoto’s chest.

He wanted to tell Mukuro. He wanted to tell her everything, too. 

“Of course you can, Mukuro,” he replied. “Don’t give into her. We just have to find a way to get to her.” 

“Yes. You’re right.” She smiled at him. “You know, when she told me that, all I could think of was you being the first person to ask me what I want.” 

“I’m glad.” Makoto said. He could only wonder what she wanted right now, as the two of them were holding hands and looking each other in the eyes...

A third voice interrupted them. “Oh my, have I wandered into a level ten intimacy cutscene?” 

The voice surprised them both, making Makoto and Mukuro let go of each other’s hands and jump backwards. Hifumi was there, adjusting his glasses and snickering. “By all means, I wouldn’t want to interrupt any of your philandering.” 

“I-it’s not like that!” Makoto replied, waving his hands and blushing furiously.

Mukuro just looked at her feet, face scarlet with embarrassment.

“Well, if it’s nothing too serious, I was hoping, Mr. Naegi, you could help me with some inkwork! You said you’ve done it before, correct?” Hifumi asked. “If I trusted you before, I’m sure I can trust you again!” 

Makoto laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “S-sure Hifumi. I’ll be right there.” He turned to the soldier. “You don’t mind, do you? After all, we can pick this up again whenever?”

Mukuro just looked up, barely able to maintain eye contact. “Y-yeah, you’re f-fine.” 

After the embarrassment she was feeling, she probably needed to sit by herself for a while. She watched them leave and chuckled. _He's too nice for his own good._


	11. Underwater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tick tock, time is up... Monokuma is going to tell the secrets! Unless a murder occurs!

In Hifumi’s room, Makoto and the author began asking, in detail, what sort of stories he had created since they entered Hope’s Peak. 

“I wanted to inquire if the ideas I currently have bouncing around are ones I’ve already written before,” he adjusted his glasses, “I can’t just rip off my own work and release twice! It’d be like making a game sequel that was just a bunch of side missions off the first.”

“W-well I didn’t read all of them;” Makoto replied, scratching the back of his neck. “But I’m sure I can give you an idea.”

Makoto’s heart dropped as Hifumi pulled out a long sheet of paper and began rattling off premises of various franchises and crossovers, asking if he had written it.

“Persona Attorney Investigation Burger Time?”

Makoto strained his memory. “Yes. I remember helping with that one.”

“How was it?”

“Got a lot of good reviews, from what you told me,” Makoto shrugged. “You never let me read them.” 

“How about Anger Deli, the story of Bakugou and Toga’s toxic relationship that ruined his Hero career?” 

“Yeah.” Makoto nodded. “You said a lot of people weren’t fans of that pairing but otherwise you were praised about it.”

“What about the story of Sonic and Samus living as a couple of accountants with their pet Pikachu?” 

Makoto blinked. “Nope, drawing a blank on that one.” 

Hifumi smirked. “Then I know what I must do! But... I wanted to ask one more thing.”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Did... did I ever complete my original work?” Hifumi asked. “I... I want to inspire others the way Princess Piggles inspired me.” 

Makoto’s eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers. “You did! You had finished it and couldn’t wait to have it published once the Tragedy had passed! I think... I think you had placed it on the second floor of the dorms. I remember you telling Toko about it and getting into a fight with her about your writing styles.” 

“NOOOOO!” Hifumi cried. “Out of reach altogether... well, at least it was done.”

Makoto laughed. “Yeah... Jeez, I thought you were here to ask about me about the secrets and stuff.” 

“No, I am not ashamed of my past in the least, Mr. Naegi!” The writer huffed, chest swelling with pride. “That’s what it means to be shameless.”

_That’s... not it at all,_ Makoto thought, but decided not to say anything. “Well that’s good. We just can’t let Junko break us.”

“My only worry is that there may still be a mole... and it’s hard not to be suspicious of Ms. Ikusaba.” Hifumi replied. “Although that would be a pretty trite and overdone trope, if you ask me.” 

“I trust her,” Makoto replied without hesitation. “If she wanted to betray us or kill us, she could have done so by now.”

The two talked awhile longer; Makoto knew how to not get overwhelmed by Hifumi’s large personality, and excused himself in time to get something to eat before the night time announcement.  
\-----  
It was after Makoto left with Hifumi, Mukuro had decided to grab some supplies from the storage room and workout for awhile. 

But as she entered the room, she found Celeste in their, rummaging through the snacks.

Mukuro had always been wary of the gambler; not because she was worried about any physical prowess she may have had, but because it was hard to get a read on her. Of course, she had the advantage of knowing that, in the year they’d been under lockdown, she eventually revealed her true name and backstory to everyone. Celeste didn’t have the memory of it, but Mukuro was sure the gambler knew Makoto knew it. 

Still. She wanted to be better. She wanted to be the person Makoto thought she could be. “Hello, Celeste.”

“Hello, Ikusaba,” Celeste said in her usual, even tone. “I hope you are well.”

Mukuro began to look for gym clothes, and found several spare school uniform versions of them. Packing them in a duffle bag, she couldn’t help but notice that Celeste was watching every movement she made. 

“Is something the matter?” She asked.

“Just keeping an eye on the other players in your sister’s game?” Celeste said. She kept a smile on her face despite the words implying less than friendly things. “After all, I’m not one to believe a tiger can so easily change its stripes.” 

Mukuro didn’t flinch. While she was not so blessed with social graces, it was clear what Celeste was implying. “I’m not trying to hurt anyone.”

“You seem to have convinced the others, for sure,” Celeste said, tone never changing. “I just prefer not to leave these things to chance.”

“Rather ironic, for a gambler,” Mukuro muttered dryly. 

“When one plays for lives instead of money, more caution is due.” Celeste smiled further. “I seem to have upset you, so I should depart for my own safety.”

The gambler left, leaving Mukuro suddenly alone with a gym bag and workout clothes. The soldier just stopped and stared at the ground in front of her, Junko’s words from before beginning to claw their way back into her head. 

_They hate you,_ she could hear her sister saying. _A fat, ugly, scary killer. They think you’re going to kill them so they’re just pretending to be nice to you._

Mukuro squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to think like this. 

But Junko’s voice in her head kept taunting. _Especially your widdle Makoto._

Mukuro turned and decided to just go back to her room and exercise there; she suddenly didn’t feel like seeing other people.

She’d come to regret the decision later.  
\------

Makoto returned to the dining hall to get a small meal, and only saw Kyoko and Yasuhiro there. This was pretty normal; while most of the students gathered for breakfast, the other times of day you’d see them all coming or going. He didn’t find it odd.

He returned to his dorm after, and laid down as Monokuma announced night time. In his darkened room, part of him couldn’t help but worry; _tomorrow he reveals everyone’ secrets._

“We’ll get through it,” he murmured into the darkness. “We have to.”

He closed his eyes, but his sleep was uneasy.  
\------

“Hem Hem,” The morning announcement chimed, “This is a school announcement....” 

Makoto’s eyes shot open. How many days had it been now? With no headmaster, no privacy, and the constant dread of another murder? He’d lost track of the time.

Getting up and dressed, he went to go to the breakfast hall.

Today it was even more sparse than usual. Byakuya, Mukuro, and Celeste were all absent like the morning before, but even Aoi was gone today as well.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE SO MANY OF US OUR LATE!” Taka shouted, slamming his fists on the table he was sitting at with Chihiro and Mondo.

“Pretty non-bro shit,” Mondo shook his head. 

“Yes, I have not seen Asahina since I accompanied her to the pool yesterday,” Sakura said, rubbing her chin. “I can only assume she lost track of time.” 

“It’s unlike Byakuya or Celeste to show up to these meetings as well,” Kyoko added. “Though Mukuro was gone yesterday too.” 

“She’d had a rough night,” Makoto replied. “I can go check on her?” 

“If you’re volunteering, see if Aoi’s okay too?” Yasuhiro suggested. 

Makoto nodded. “Sure, no problem.” 

Leaving the dining hall, Makoto couldn’t help but feel the same sneaking feeling of apprehension he felt when they found Leon and Syaka’s bodies. He tried to shake himself. This was nothing. Things were getting better. _Right?_

He rang Mukuro’s doorbell, and it wasn’t long before the soldier opened the door, peeking her head out, surprised to see him. 

Makoto immediately noticed that it hadn’t looked like the soldier had slept properly at all. Her eyes were dim and slightly sunken, and she had a haze in her expression. “Mukuro... are you okay?”

She did her best to stop from wincing. _Of course he had noticed._ “I couldn’t sleep, that’s all.”

_I kept hearing all the things my sister used to say to me,_ she thought, but she didn’t want to get into that bag of worms at the moment.

“I’m sorry,” Makoto frowned. “I was asked to check on you and Aoi since neither of you were at the meeting. I can make you some tea or coffee if you want?”

Mukuro tilted her head. “Aoi is missing?”

He nodded. “Y-yeah.”

“Give me a second, I’ll come with you,” the soldier muttered, closing the door, and opening it a few minutes later, fully dressed. 

The two of them walked over to Aoi’s dorm and rang the bell. 

Silence. No movement, no answer. After a minute, they tried once more. Panic began to rise up in Makoto’s chest. “W-where could she be?!”

“Stay calm,” Mukuro advised, evenly. “We tell the others, and everyone splits up to search.” She turned and looked him in the eyes. “If the worst has happened, the last thing we want to do in Junko’s game is give in to panic and despair.” 

Makoto slowed his breathing and nodded. “R-right.” 

The two ran back to the dining hall to report what happened to everyone else. 

“WHAAAT?!” Sakura howled, fists clenched in anger.

“We must split up and look!” Kiyotaka shouted. 

“I’ll head up to the pool area,” Kyoko volunteered, “It would be the most likely place for her to be.” 

Other people shouted where they would be going as well, until Makoto and Mukuro were stuck checking the second floor libraries and classrooms. They left, in a hurry, with everyone else. As they were with their classmates, yells of, “Aoi,” or, “Asahina,” could be heard from their classmates. Hifumi had even found Celeste in the storage room and convinced her to help look as well. 

At the second floor, they went to the library, only to see Byakuya reading there, as usual. 

“What,” he grunted as he saw the two looking through the aisles of books in a rush, “are you two neanderthals doing?” 

“Aoi is m-missing,” Makoto stuttered. He was having a hard time keeping his composure.

“Well, if she turns up murdered, maybe something interesting will happen,” he sneered, going back to his book. “She has not been here or in the archive all day; I’ve been in both places since before the morning announcement, and no one has been here. Leave.” 

Makoto was about to argue something, but Mukuro grabbed his arm and lead him out of the room instead, shaking her head. 

“It’s not worth getting yourself worked up over,” she advised when they left the library. “It’s not worth how you always let him get under your skin. There’s bigger matters at hand.” 

“You’re right,” Makoto admitted. “S-sorry, Mukuro.” 

The two scoured the two classrooms in the second floor as well, but to no avail. Aoi was not anywhere to be seen. Heading back towards the first floor, the two ran into Kyoko as well, leaving the pool.

“Any luck?” Makoto asked.

Kyoko shook her head. “Not at all. I thought for sure there would be some clue to her whereabouts here, but...”

Kiyotaka came bounding up the stairs, as if on cue. “Status report! Has Aoi been located up here? She is not on the first floor!”

“That can’t be right!” Makoto exclaimed. “We’ve checked every inch of the second floor and haven’t found her here either.” 

Mukuro rubbed her chin. “Well. There is one place we haven’t checked.”

To everyone’s surprise, she walked into the men’s bathroom, and to the shock of Makoto, she went and accessed the hidden room in the 2nd floor men’s room. She did calmly, by pressing on just the right tile Kyoko had done, as if she had done it a million times before. _She knew?!_

The panel opened... and...

DING DONG BING BONG

“Hem hem! A body has been discovered! Please report to the 2nd floor men’s room!” 

The four of them, Taka, Mukuro, Kyoko and Makoto, were looking through the hidden doorway at the body of Aoi Asahina, laying in the center of the hidden room. Makoto was frozen there for what felt like years before the remaining students arrived, filtering in slowly.

The last to arrive was Sakura, who unleashed a blood curdling scream towards the heavens, and charged towards the body. Kneeling next to it, she began seething, tears of agony flowing silently down the side of her face. 

“What a touching scene!” Monokuma snickered as he appeared in the room. In Makoto’s shock, he hadn’t seen where the bear had dropped in from. “It touches the cockles of my heart. Maybe even some sort of sub-cockle area. Maybe that’s just my ribs. Anyway, here it is! The Monokuma file!” 

Files were thrown at each student. 

Numbly, Makoto picked up his file and thumbed through it. 

_Aoi Asahina. Ultimate Swimmer. Estimated time of death is unknown. Found at approximately 8am. Bruises can be found on her torso, neck, and back of her head._

Makoto flipped the paper over and looked at it again. “...That’s it?”

“Puhuhu!” Monokuma giggled, hiding behind it’s paws. “I’m not going to do all the investigation for you! I wouldn’t want to give away the blackened. Now. Goooooooood luck!”


	12. A Joint Effort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In an effort to investigate Aoi's murder, Makoto splits up from Kyoko and Mukuro

“I’ll help guard the body with ya,” Mondo offered, quietly. “I’m not much doing otherwise." He had been the first to break the silence since Monokuma left, which snapped Makoto back into reality.

“I SHALL STAY HERE AS WELL!” Taka volunteered, loudly. 

Kyoko, instead of saying anything, walked forward to examine the body. Makoto followed her, hesitantly. He had just assumed that he would be helping her investigate like last time. 

The two of them crouched down next to the body, and Makoto found the notepad he had used last time in a pocket of his hoodie. _Must have forgotten to take this out..._

“The file is downplaying these wounds,” Kyoko squinted. Gently moving some of Aoi’s hair aside, she frowned. “Her hair is wet as well.”

Makoto scribbled that down. “How about the rest of her?” 

Kyoko began patting down parts of Aoi’s clothes. “It looks like she was dried off, post mortem. Just enough to get dressed."

“These weren’t the clothes she was murdered in?” Makoto asked. “How can you tell?”

“Well, look at these wounds,” Kyoko explained. “The neck is almost completely crushed, which, along with other signs of asphyxiation, is the leading cause of death. But the wounds on her head are bloody, and there’s nothing on the outside of the clothes. And while her hair is still damp, these clothes are externally dry.” 

“Makes sense,” he replied, scribbling the information down.

“The neck wounds appear to have been done with a rope,” the detective added. “While the other wounds were done with blunt force.”

Mukuro watched the two of them. She felt... rather powerless at the moment. She had been the cause of many, countless deaths for years. Never once had she been asked to look back at someone post-death. Never once had she come across a corpse where she didn’t know what happened to it.

Even moreso, something new was in her chest as she looked at Aoi’s body. 

_“Hey, does anyone want to go for a swim with me?!” Aoi asked, excitedly. “Makoto? Sakura? Um... Mukuro was it?”_

The girl had been so nice to her. Walked with her to the pool, asking her about Naegi and talking to her like a normal person.

She’d never felt sad looking at a dead body before today. 

“So, we have the changed clothes, the crushed windpipe, the blood on her head...” Makoto summed up. “If she was wet, it doesn’t seem like she was killed here. She must have been brought here after by the killer to hide the body.”

“Who the fuck even knew about this room?!” Mondo growled.

Everyone’s eyes traveled over to Mukuro, and she suddenly felt very much defensive. 

“I was shown this room once by Junko when we were first locked in,” She explained. “It was used by the headmaster as a bunker of sorts, but he stopped using it after the whole school was turned into a shelter. To be honest, I had forgotten about it until I realized we had looked everywhere else for her body.” 

“Of course, that could be a lie if you had hid the body here last night,” Byakuya replied.

Makoto wanted to rebut, but Kyoko beat him to it. “That isn’t the most logical explanation,” the detective said. “If Mukuro was looking to hide the body here, she would not bring myself, Makoto, and Kiyotaka into this room to show us it in our search. It defeats the purpose of hiding the body. Furthermore, I had discovered this room yesterday in my own investigation. I showed Naegi and Chihiro, but decided to keep it secret from anyone else.” 

“You knew about this room?!” Mukuro asked, looking from Kyoko to Naegi, shocked. Makoto looked away, guiltily. 

“Well, so that makes you four the most likely suspects,” Byakuya replied, smugly. “If I didn’t know about it, I doubt any of these other plebians would have found it.”

“I know you’re insulting me, but I’m glad to say I knew nothing of it,” Yasuhiro added. “I was in my room the whole day.” 

“For now, maybe we should try and figure out where the clothes she was murdered in have gone too, and where she was actually murdered,” Makoto suggested. 

“That seems wise,” Celeste agreed. “You two came through last time, I’m sure you will this time as well.”

_Meaning she doesn’t plan to help,_ Mukuro grimaced. “I’ll help too.” 

“That’s good,” Kyoko added. “If you’d come with me, I’d like to ask you some questions.” She turned to Naegi. “You and I should split up. You proved valuable in the last investigation. I expect you to leave no stone unturned.”

“M-me?” Makoto asked, dubiously. “I really think it’s only because I had retained my memories.”

“Nonsense. Come with me, Ikusaba.” 

Makoto as the two girls left, and then turned back to Aoi’s body. He took a deep breath, and found his well of determination in his chest. 

His eyes scanned the rest of the room, and he noticed that the bookshelves that had been filled with prior facts and history of Hope’s Peak were a few books shorter than they had been the day before. He jotted down, “missing books,” in his notebook.

He turned to Sakura, “Hey, Sakura, you walked with Aoi to the pool yesterday morning, right?”

“What do you mean?” The martial artist growled, putting Naegi on edge. He understood why; those two had... always been close. There had been times before the Tragedy he had seen them holding hands in the hallway, but he never inquired on the subject further. 

“Kyoko and I went past you after we had inspected this room,” he replied. “Aoi mentioned going to the pool to you.”

“Ah... yes.” Sakura replied. “Once Aoi was in the water, I didn’t stay. I went to the weight room next to the pool to workout. I was in there the whole day, and I didn’t see anyone go through to the pool. Once it got close to night time, I left to get something to eat, and went to my dorm.”

Makoto finished writing down her statement. “Okay... thanks.”

The boy left to investigate the pool, and was a little surprised that Byakuya walked out with him, stopping Makoto in the hallway.

“I’m only going to tell you this because you appear to be somewhat competent.” Byakuya said. “I’m not certain I believe her story.” 

“What do you mean?”

“I left the library to use the restroom maybe around six o'clock. I remember because it was maybe half an hour after Yasuhiro came in, looking for a book of fortune telling or some such nonsense. About half an hour later, she came into the library with books that she claimed needed to be returned to the archive.”

“And?”

“I’ve been in that library every day since the second floor opened, and that buffoon has never been in there once. Whatever she put in the archive never was there in the first place.”

Makoto wrote Byakuya’s account down. “Anything else?”

“She left with one book. It was one of the few she had brought in.”

“So she left with one of the books she brought in,” Makoto scribbled. “Got it.”

Something struck Makoto, and he remembered something else that happened to him yesterday. He scribbled a note for himself and rushed off to the library, Byakuya following him out of curiosity.   
\------  
Kyoko and Mukuro moved into the girl’s changing room to investigate while Kyoko asked Mukuro a few things. 

“So, you claim that the secret room had been something that had just slipped your mind, correct?”

Mukuro nodded. “Yes. Junko discovered it right after the lockdown, but she never invited me to it again. After a while it sort of just... well, slipped my mind, like you said.”

“I see. Can you give me an account for your whereabouts as of yesterday?” Kyoko asked. 

“Sure. After Makoto met you in the dining hall to talk about whatever you two had been looking for, we took a walk around the building. It must have been around five. We checked on Asahina, and then Hifumi asked Makoto for help. I ended up going to the storage room, as I figured I would get some working out in. I ran into Celeste, and after a small conversation, I decided to go back to my room for the evening instead.” 

“Around five?” Kyoko narrowed her eyes. “You two might have been the last ones to see Aoi alive. Was anyone in either locker room?” 

“Nope. No one here at least.” Mukuro assured her. 

“Hmm. Was that here?” Kyoko asked, pointing to a bin for wet towels. It was overflowing with at least ten sopping wet towels. 

Mukuro narrowed her eyes. “No, not at all.” Moving in a little closer to the bin, she read a small sign above it. “Wet towels will be collected at 3pm daily.” 

“If you were in here yesterday with an empty weight room, and Aoi was the only one swimming, that is an absurd amount of towels.” The detective observed. “Let’s check the pool.”

The two walked into the pool area to find... nothing too terribly out of place. The water was still, as usual, and only the hum of the pool filter could be heard. Mukuro watched as the detective slowly walked the length of the pool, around the far side, around the other length, and finishing her lap back by the soldier. She beckoned the soldier towards the lifeguard chair, so Mukuro followed. 

“The rope hanging down from here, was it like this when you were swimming the other day?” Kyoko asked, pointing towards the rope that would normally be attached to a life preserver. 

The rope was carelessly dangling from the chair, hooked around the back, to the pool. 

“No, not at all. Think it’s related?”

“Possibly. This would match the neck wounds and it’s the most easily accessible rope.” And,” Kyoko pulled two long strands of brown hair off the rope. “Two hairs here. One of these looks like it matches Aoi’s. I’m no forensic scientist, but it’s a near perfect match. The other... well, not so much. It’s the right color, but...”

“But?” Mukuro echoed. 

Kyoko held the hair up for Mukuro to inspect. It was long, but curly and frayed. “Not quite a match. Possibly damaged in a struggle.”

“That’s good right? It means it’s the rope used to strangle Aoi?” Mukuro asked.

“Unfortunately, I can’t find any other physical evidence to make it definitive,” the detective sighed. “Any blood that might have been in the water has been damaged by the pool chemicals at this point. And whatever water that might have been splashed up in an altercation has dried. But, it’s a strong possibility.”

The soldier frowned and stared out at the pool. “Something still feels off though.”

“What do you mean?”

Mukuro walked forward and knelt down next to the corner of the pool. Around the pool was a thin line of black tiles that went around the whole pool. “Well, when I was swimming two days ago, the water was above this line. Maybe it’s a fill line. But the water is a square or two below these tiles now.”

Kyoko kneeled down and examined it as well. “Are you sure?”

Mukuro stared at the detective briefly, remembering how it felt for every eye in the room to turn on her, and Junko’s words about killing everyone. 

It would be easy to grab her head and hold it under the water...

After all, just how did those two find out about the hidden room... together?

Mukuro shook the thought. “I’m positive.” 

“Well, we should make a note of it.” Kyoko rubbed her chin. “A difference in the water level could indicate a struggle.” She stood. “Alright. Last thing. We check for any sort of evidence in the boys’ locker room. Thankfully, we can get in through the pool entrance.” 

The two checked that locker room as well. However, after turning the location upside down, they found nothing, other than some broken glass in one of the garbage containers. Kyoko wrote it down anyway.   
\------  
Makoto entered the archive, and began checking every bookshelf for books or files that looked familiar to the ones from the hidden room. If Sakura had put something in here, perhaps it was for a reason.

His eyes scanned over a shelf until his eyes almost passed over some condensation on the shelf. His eyes flew up, seeing a large volume. He grabbed it and pulled it out, immediately cringing at the feel of the wet book. 

“This was originally from that hidden room,” he told Byakuyua, who simply nodded.

He opened the book to see some pages had been torn out, and a bloody, torn swimsuit was stuffed into the pages. 

“Well, it appears we found where the ogre hid the evidence,” Byakuya scoffed. “She’s woefully bad at concealing that it was her doing. 

Makoto frowned. “I’m not assuming anything yet. I want to check something else.”

He turned and left for the pool; but in the hallway, he ran into just who he was looking for: Mukuro and Kyoko. 

“Has your search been fruitful?” Kyoko asked.

“Y-yes,” Makoto said, looking at his notepad. “Here’s what I have...”

He relayed the accounts he had taken from Sakura and Byakuya, the missing items from the hidden room, their relocation by Sakura, which included even the bloodied bathing suit. 

Mukuro had been impressed by the detective, and she was further impressed by Makoto. He was actually pretty good at this investigating business.

“Solid leads.” Kyoko rubbed her chin. “They point to Ogami... however, it contradicts some of the evidence we found.”

“How so?” Makoto asked. 

Kyoko explained their evidence; Mukuro accounting for Ogami being nowhere near the pool when her and Makoto went for a walk, the frayed rope with two hairs, the change in water level, and the mass of wet towels in the women’s room. 

“That’s right, Sakura wasn’t anywhere nearby when we looked at the pool last time,” Makoto though, straining his memory. 

DING DONG BING BONG

“Hem hem! Tiiiiiiiiime’s up children!” Monokuma cried gleefully. “It’s trial time! Head for the red door on the first floor! Puhu!”

The three looked to each other, and Makoto was astounded that the two women in front of him could keep such solid poker faces. He knew he looked uneasy, but seeing their resolve remembered he had promised Junko and himself that he would stop her. He’d already failed in letting another murder happen; he couldn’t give her the satisfaction of stopping. 

They met the other students in front of the red door, and they entered the elevator down into the trial room. 

They had to figure out what happened to Aoi. While the last week or so had already seemed so surreal to Makoto, it was hard to come to grasp the reality that two days ago, he and Mukuro had spent an afternoon swimming with Aoi, and now she was gone. 

_I have to do her justice,_ he gulped, determined, _it's all I can do for her now._


	13. Trials and Trysts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 2nd trial kicks off, and Junko continues to goad Mukuro with personalized motives.

“Is everyone in position?” Monokuma asked as all the students took their podiums. “Okay! Let’s see if you wunderkind can figure out whodunnit!” 

“It was Mukuro!” Yasuhiro yelled immediately with a dramatic point. “She was the only one who knew where the secret room was!”

“Hagakure, I have to insist you do not begin these trials with baseless accusations!” Kiyotaka yelled. “There are four people who knew of that room.”

“Actually,” Byakuya interjected, “we never learned the identity of the mole who Monokuma mentioned three days ago. If it wasn’t one of those four, there’s potentially five.”

“I assure you, I had no knowledge of the room,” Hifumi squealed, nervously.

“As if anyone would admit to such a thing,” Celeste said, smiling. 

Kyoko cleared her throat. “Let’s start with what we do know. At some time yesterday, Aoi Asahina, the Ultimate Swimmer, was killed. She was dried off, changed, and then moved into the secret room. Now, from the wounds on her neck, we can infer that her cause of death was strangulation via rope.”

“Had to fucking happen at night time,” Mondo said. “No way we’d not notice a murder happening while we’re all walking around and shit.”

“No, that’s wrong,” Makoto said. “It had to happen some time between 5pm and 6:30pm. Mukuro and I saw Aoi swimming at around 5pm. It was around 6:30pm when Byakuaya said Sakura entered the library to return books to the archive.”

“What’s that have to do with anything? Sakura asked. 

“Because,” Makoto explained. “You told me yourself that you had been working out in the girl’s locker room the whole afternoon, never leaving.” 

“I had simply forgotten that I had to return some items.” Sakura explained, calmly.

“Except that’s not true either.” Byakuya sneered. “Tell them, Naegi.”

Mukuro’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. 

_Why... me?_ “Er... yeah,” Makoto continued. “From when Kyoko showed me that room yesterday, the books she put in the archive were taken from the hidden room. I recognized one of them, and when I located it in the archive, it had Aoi’s bloody swimsuit inside some missing pages. Byakuya had been spending his days in the library since the second floor opened, and he confirmed he’d never seen you in their before.”

Sakura folded her arms and said nothing. 

“WHOOOOOOAAA!!!” Yasuhiro exclaimed. “Ogre moved the body and hid evidence! She did it! She had to have done it!”

“No...” Sakura replied. “I did not kill her. But... yes, I did move her body.” 

“What?!” Chihiro cried. “W-w-why would you do something like that.” 

Sakura sighed. “Well... I shall tell you...”  
\------  
 _Sakura entered the pool around 6pm. She just wanted to make sure Aoi didn’t miss dinner again. But there weren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe the level of rage in her body. The body of Aoi was laying on the side of the pool. “ASAHINA!”_

_Sakura charged up to the swimmer, and gently rolled her onto her back. To her surprise, the girl was just barely breathing._

_“Who.... WHO DID THIS TO YOU?!” The martial artist cried._

_“D...” Aoi choked out, barely able to speak through her crushed windpipe. “D...”_

_“Hold on, let’s get you to the nurse’s office!”_

_Aoi shook her head. “D-don’t... let... Junko win.... Hide me.”_

_Sakura’s eyes widened in shock as Aoi gave her a faint smile. “Aoi, no...”_

_Aoi made a gurgle noise, and her breathing stopped. Sakura tried CPR, to no avail; the girl’s airway was too damaged._  
\------

“So... to give her some dignity... I dried her off and changed her.” Sakura explained. “I wrapped her in the towels and carried her into the hidden room.”’ 

“A... somewhat incredible story,” Celeste replied, not hiding the bite in her words. “But how did you know of the room?”

Sakura sighed. “I... am working for Junko.”

Collective cries of, “what,” “for real,” and “no way,” arose from the rest of the students. Mukuro didn’t say anything, but she was unable to stop her jaw from hanging open in shock. She had never had any idea that Junko had another mole in the building until it was mentioned the other day, but she hadn't expected this. _No wonder I wasn’t needed. Sakura and I are total overkill to both be moles._

“How can you expect us to believe your story when you’re the mole?!” Byakuya scoffed.

“I don’t think we can discount the possibility altogether,” Kirigiri interjected. “Some physical evidence was left on the rope we believe to be used to strangle Asahina.”

“Explain yourself!” Byakuya barked. 

“I planned on it, before you interrupted me,” Kyoko quipped. “A rope with two brown hairs was set up like some sort of pulley system on the life guard chair. And while one of these matches Aoi’s hairs, the other does not.”

Kyoko produced two ziplocked bags of hairs. One was long and smooth, like Aoi’s, while the other was long and scraggly.

“Couldn’t they both be Ms. Asahina’s?” Kiyotaka asked.

“We can’t just assume that.” Kyoko responded. 

“But no one else was at the pool, correct?” Celeste asked.

Makoto’s memory finally kicked in. “No, that’s wrong!”

Everyone looked at him, and he continued, “When Mukuro and I went to check on Aoi, I saw Hagakure in the boy’s room when we left!” 

“N-nah man, you were hallucinating it!” Hagakure replied, defensively. “That’s circumcision evidence at best!” 

“Y-you mean circumstantial?” Chihirio corrected him. 

“Does that hair match one from Hagakure?” Mukuro asked Kyoko. 

Kyoko walked over towards Hagakure, who backed up defensively. Mondo and Sakura approached behind Hagakure though with threatening looks, and the fortune teller stopped in his tracks. 

Kyoko held the bag up to Hagakure’s head. “This looks like a match.” 

“Furthermore, when we found the body, Hagakure was quick to claim he’d been in his room all day,” Byakuya added. “Which Naegi has confirmed was a lie.”

“I could never kill Aoi!” Yasuhiro denied. “Look at this beer belly! She could overpower me any day.” 

“You could still strike her with something unexpectedly,” Hifumi said, puffing out his chest. “Like a dastardly coward!” 

“What would I have even hit her with?!” Hagakure scoffed. “There’s no proof I did it because I didn’t do it!” 

Mukuro rubbed her chin. “I mean... you could have hit her with a crystal ball? That could be the blow to the head?”

“WHAT?” Hagakure said, laughing. “That’s what you’re banking this on?” 

“It’s a good theory,” Kyoko added. “We found broken glass in the boy’s locker room.”

“That could be from anything! I don’t even have a crystal ball here!” Hagakure argued.

“Yes you do,” Makoto said, pointing, “The night before Sayaka and Leon died, you had me help you find it! Where is it now?”

“B-back in my room,” Hagakure stuttered. “It was probably just a bottle!” 

“Headmaster Monokuma!” Kiyotaka yelled, making everyone jump.

“Yes?” The bear responded, a bit surprised to be called on.

“Are any of the drinks or other goods sold in the school store carried in glass containers?”

“Puhuhu! I don’t know if I should answer that!” He snickered. “I don’t want to influence the events of the trial.” 

“They are not,” Celeste answered. “I was there earlier today.”

“Aw,” Monokuma pouted. “Spoilsport...” 

“Then it fucking had to be your crystal ball, you fucking hippie!” Mondo scowled. 

“Y-y-you guys must have lost it!” Hagakure said, near tears. “It was Ogre, damn it! She was the one who moved the body! Why would you think it was me because of a hair and some glass?!” 

“Because, the murder doesn’t match what happened after,” Kyoko explained, folding her arms. “To strangle someone to death is a brutal crime. No one who would dry and groom a body post-mortem would choose such a rough method of murder. If Sakura had done this, there were quicker methods she would have done it. And there wouldn’t have been a struggle.”

“W-what struggle are you talking about?” Chihiro asked. 

“The pool levels,” Mukuro said, quietly. She didn’t really have confidence in the trial; words were not her strength. “It was... a lot lower than it was two days ago.” 

Hagakure paled. “Y-you’re all crazy! You’re going to let Ogre get away with murder!” 

“U-um,” Chihiro began, “I um... might be able to prove Sakura didn’t do it.” 

“Well?” Byakuya asked, impatiently. “Speak up then.” 

Chihiro swallowed. “W-well, if the murder didn’t happen until between 5 and 6pm...I actually saw Sakura before then.” 

“What do you mean, bro?” Kiyotaka asked. 

“W-well, I wanted to check something out in that hidden room,” Chihiro began, shooting a meaningful look over at Makoto and Kyoko, “B-but when I was on my way up there, I got spooked by something. It was about 6pm, because I remember checking on my E-Handbook. But um... when I wanted to go into the bathroom, I got spooked because Sakura came up the stairs. So I um... hid in the girl’s room.” 

“Which corroborates Sakura’s story,” Celeste smiled. “I believe Yasuhiro’s guilt is written in the stars.” 

Yasuhiro grew silent and stared at his feet. Finally he clenched his fists and pointed at Makoto. “God damn it Naegi! This is your fault!” 

Makoto took a step back, shocked. “Huh?! Me?!” 

“You had to rally everyone into not telling their secrets!” He said, tears welling up. “Why couldn’t you have just gotten killed by Mondo?!” 

Mukuro scowled. “Don’t blame Makoto for your actions!” 

“Are you fucking serious?” Mondo said, pounding a fist into his open palm. “I would’ve regretted that forever! You got some goddamn nerve!” 

“I am serious!” Yasuhiro cried. “It should have been easy!”

He began to explain, “I went to the pool, waiting for the coast to be clear. I told Asahina I wanted to show her something. When she got out of the pool, yeah, I clobbered her with the crystal ball. I grabbed the rope hanging from the lifeguard chair and wrapped it around her neck, but she got up and struggled. I pushed her in the pool because she was swinging for me. I pulled on the rope and it ended up fishing her out by the neck... When I got her out, she wasn’t breathing. I... panicked and cleaned up the crystal ball, and had to figure out where to hide her. But when I came out of the men’s room, I saw Ogre standing over her... and well, I went and hid in one of the men’s rooms lockers. When I came out later, she and the body were gone.” 

“Such senseless violence,” Sakura seethed through grit teeth. “What on earth would compel you to do such a thing?”

“I’m not telling you anything!” Hagakure said, defiantly. 

“It’s because... you’re a fraud,” Makoto said, calmly.

Everyone in the room turned and looked at him. The melancholy look on the boy’s face spoke volumes. “You’ve been conning your way to the top for years. Every now and then you get some predictions right, but even as the Ultimate Fortune Teller, you overstate what you can do. And because of that, you’re millions in debt to a yakuza.” 

“Hey, fuck you Makoto!” Hagakure shouted, red in the face. “You don’t know that.”

“He does,” Mukuro confirmed, “because in our first year you tried to sell his organs to the same organization to clear your debt.”

Yasuhiro’s jaw dropped. “I... I did?” Guilt etched across his face as he looked at Makoto. “And you... never said anything?” 

Makoto frowned. “We told you what’s going on out there... why would any of it matter now?” 

“Puhuhu!” Monokuma laughed. “How tragic! Greed gave way to murder! I daresay it’s voting time students!”

Like last time, a screen behind Yasuhiro declared him guilty. He screamed as balloons and confetti rained down from the ceiling, only to be silence as Monokuma threw a collar around his neck and dragged him off towards his punishment. 

Yasuhiro’s punishment was particularly unpleasant; he was thrown onto a table across from a Monokuma in a fortune teller’s hat. The Monokuma forcefully took his palm to read, but then pierced Yasuhiro’s palm straight through, pinning him to the table. As Hagakure struggled, crystal balls began to rain down from the ceiling, one after another, and until they battered and bludgeoned him to death.

As the remaining ten students watched this unfold, Monokuma popped up besides them. “Wow! Two for two? You guys are good at this! Then again, guess I should expect it from a group with the Ultimate Detective. Maybe I should get you guys a talking great dane and a tie-dyed minivan.”

No one said anything; they had solved a murder but no one could feel great about it leading to the death of Yasuhiro. 

Makoto looked around the room. The group, his classmates, had been dwindled down to one third of their original numbers. He felt shame in letting things get this bad, for handing Junko another win. He hated it. 

He was snapped out of it as a hand found his. He looked to his left to see Mukuro had grabbed his left hand. Though her face was neutral, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. 

_Right,_ he shook himself internally, _I’m not alone. We’re still here. Then ten of us. We have to stick together to stop her. If I lose hope now, if I give up, she’ll eat me alive._

He squeezed her hand back.

“Alrighty kids, I think you should all head to bed!” Monokuma cackled. “Headmaster Monokuma needs to think up a new motive for you all.” 

“Can’t fucking wait,” Mondo grumbled. 

Browbeaten, the Ultimate Students all retreated to the dormitory. Makoto and Mukuro split at his door, without exchanging a word. There wasn’t much to say when Junko had gotten the best of them that day.

As Makoto opened his door, he half expected to see her there, gloating about his promise to take apart her Tragedy. Thankfully, Monokuma wasn’t there.  
\----  
He was waiting in Mukuro’s room instead.

“Hey sis!” Monokuma cackled in his most aggravating voice. “Have a good time at the trial?! You actually took point a few times! Color me surprised.”

“What do you want?” Mukuro replied, trying to keep emotion from her voice. The unwelcomed visitor had been a surprise, but the soldier was able to keep her composure. Junko liked to keep her on her toes her whole life. This was no different. 

“Wow, is that anyway to greet your sister?” Monokuma giggled from atop the soldier’s bed. “I just want you to remember my offer still stands.”

“I’m not interested in playing your games, Junko.” She replied. She had taken to finding a spot on the floor, a spot where two tiles intersected, and staring down at them. It helped her dissociate and try to drown out the feelings swelling in her head and heart. “All I want to do is bring you despair by stopping this.” 

“Un-bear-lievable.” The bear sighed. “Here I thought you couldn’t get anymore disappointed, but you’re turning into your lame ass boyfriend.” 

“Turning into - I’m doing nothing of the sort.” Mukuro replied, defensively. She wasn’t sure why; she liked trying to be a normal teenager, and Makoto was certainly helping. Still, she was her own person.

“Well, it’s certainly getting hard to tell the two of you apart, with you two both insisting you’ll do anything to stop me,” Monokuma replied, bored. “How’s that working out for you? You could ask Hagakure to predict your chances. Oh wait. You can’t. You guys killed him by voting for him.” 

“You’re not going to guilt me for anyone’s death for the events you orchestrated.” Mukuro replied calmly. 

“That I orchestrated? You’re just as much to blame for your class being stuck here.”

“And I’ve been working against you since you severed our relationship.” The soldier replied. 

“Oh, so you’re going to pretend that you’re not a ruthless killer with gallons of blood on your hands.” Monokuma snickered. “Lame. Tell me how that’s been working for you and Makoto? Between the two of you, I can’t tell which one of you is dumber.”

“Makoto solved both of these murders, hardly any reason to call someone dumb,” Mukuro scoffed. “I’m sure you regret leaving him alive.”

“I figured you’d defend him. Why would you? He didn’t even tell you when he and the detective found the hidden room.”

This made Mukuro hesitant, which Junko was quick to prey upon. “What else do you think they got up to, just the two of them?” The bear pushed. “It gets me all hot and bothered to think of.” 

The soldier squirmed, Junko’s perversion making her as uncomfortable as ever. 

“I mean, see their raw sexual chemistry for yourself!” Monokuma giggled. 

A screen for the nighttime announcements lowered itself into the room. On it, it showed Kirigiri grabbed Makoto by the hand outside the 2nd floor boy’s room, pulling him towards her, and saying, “I need you in the bathroom,” in a sultry tone before the two entered. 

Mukuro’s insides writhed and squirmed. She shifted her feet, unable to stay still. Junko replayed the scene a few more times.

“Do you think that’s how they found the hidden room?” Now it was Junko’s voice coming through Monokuma’s speaker. 

Mukuro squeezed her eyes shut. “Stop.” 

“I mean Makoto looks like a bottom. Maybe she had him pressed against the wall...”

Mukuro cringed. 

“Or maybe he was on top, and used his hands on the wall to-” 

“STOP!” Mukuro yelled.

“Puhuhu!” Junko snickered. “You’re cucked sis. Admit it. What did I always say about you and him?”

Mukuro said nothing. She didn’t have to though, both of them remembered very vividly. She would say, _Makoto would never want anyone as ugly or useless as you._

“Even with her memories gone, she’ll fall for him just like she did before. They work well together, don’t they? I saw you see it during the investigation. Don’t you remember? How she fell for him before?” Junko asked.

Mukuro did remember. Even if she wasn’t as smart as Junko or observant as Kyoko, it was a memory she wouldn’t soon forget.   
\------  
 _“He’ll forget it tomorrow.” Mukuro said to herself. “He’ll forget it tomorrow. He’ll forget.”_

_It was a weird feeling, nervousness. She hadn’t really ever felt it before. Whenever she entered battle, she never felt nervous. She was a tool. If she died, she died a failure, and it wouldn’t really bother her. If Junko needed her for something, she would either succeed and make her sister happy, or she would fail and die._

_It was shameful. Junko was right. Makoto made her weak. Personal connections made her weak. To feel something like nervousness was not becoming of a tool of death._

_She had to expunge it. She needed to confess her feelings to kill them. Then Makoto would undergo the memory wipe, it wouldn’t matter, and she could watch him die in peace._

_She’d asked Makoto to meet her in the music room. It was usually empty at this time of day, and she wanted privacy for this matter._

_Her heart leapt into her throat as she heard footsteps approaching, but it fell as he heard more than one set, and voices to go along with him._

_“It’s just illogical,” Mukuro heard that voice and recognized it easily. The detective. She scowled as it continued, “It’s been a year since we’ve been locked in the school. That man has no plan for the future, for what he wants us to do as these symbol of Hope against the Tragedy.”_

_Mukuro couldn’t help but feel her eyes roll. Again, she was complaining about her dad._

_“Well, I understand your point,” Makoto replied. Mukuro was happy to hear the sound of his voice. “But it’s hard to plan for something like this. The situation changes daily.”_

_“Still. We have a gambler, a fanfiction comic creator, a fortunate teller... hell, one of them is a fashion model,” Mukuro’s eyebrow twitched as she heard the detective disparage her sister, “what good are these talents for a world in this state? Pollution? Terrorism?”_

_Their footsteps stopped. Mukuro poked her head around the corner. She could see the two of them had stopped, and were facing each other. Makoto’s back was to her, giving the soldier a good view of Kyoko’s face. The detective’s eyes widened in surprise as Makoto grabbed her hands suddenly._

_“Kyoko... I know not everyone’s skills seem like much now. But all of you guys are really amazing! All these skills can translate into other matters. Speaking, diplomacy, writing... these are things that change countries, and can change the world.” Mukuro could feel Makoto smiling at the detective from there, and it made her squirm. “And if your dad can’t figure it out, then you and I can think of something.”_

_The two stared at each other for some time, a tinge of red flushing the cheeks of the detective._

_Mukuro could see the expression change on the look of Kyoko’s face. It was the same look Mukuro knew she herself would take whenever Makoto blew her away._

_The soldier turned and left._

_She didn’t think she wanted to talk to Makoto right now._  
\-------

“How long do you think it will be before Kyoko falls for him again?” Junko said. Mukuro could almost see the sneering smile in her mind, even though she was only looking at the bear. 

“I’m not stopping you to make Makoto love me.” Mukuro spat back. 

“No,” Junko laughed. “Maybe not. Because you know no one could ever love you. But you love him. And it’ll be a hell of a lot easier to get him if you take out the competition.”

Mukuro just looked away.

“Think about it. There’s already only two other girls left, and I don’t think Celeste or Sakura have eyes for him. Get rid of the detective, and you’ll be all he has.” Monokuma teased. “Offers on the table, sis.” 

Monokuma disappeared, without another word.

The tv screen remained, showing the same few moments of Kirigiri pulling Naegi by the hand into the bathroom until it was night time.

Mukuro covered her head with her pillow,

She did not sleep.


	14. Jealousy and Egos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto, Chihiro, and Kyoko take steps to fight back against Junko.

Makoto woke up with the morning announcement, and considered just staying in bed. He dreaded going to the dining hall and not seeing Aoi sitting next to Sakura with her donuts, or Yasuhiro trying to peddle out some sort of palm reading. 

Ten. Just ten of them. 

He had so much fire after the last trial. Determination to get rid of Junko. _I still feel that way... but..._

He was having doubts. He had revealed his memories to his friends. And he thought he united them. And... maybe he had. Chihiro, Mondo, and Taka were closer, but...

They knew who the mastermind was. They knew the motive was a hoax. But still, someone got selfish...

“What can I do?” Makoto sighed. He sat up and hugged his knee to his chest. “I can’t lose hope now...” 

Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, he gathered his willpower to force himself to the dining hall. Downtrodden and browbeaten, he wasn’t going to let Junko beat him. Not yet. 

In the hallway, he passed Sakura heading to the dining hall. “Good morning, Sakura.”

Sakura gave him a curt nod. “Makoto.” 

He frowned. Sakura wasn’t showing it, but he knew that sort of subdued reaction belied how upset she was. It didn’t surprise him.

The dining hall was filled with everyone except Mukuro. He frowned again; this happened not long ago too. But he was surprised to see Togami and Celeste were there as well.

“Good morning everyone!” Taka greeted everyone, though he was rather subdued himself. “We have come to confirm another floor has been opened up in the school!” 

“What’s up there?” Hifumi asked. 

It took Makoto a minute to realize the question was directed at him, and that every pair of eyes was staring at him. “Ah... it’s the art room, the physics lab, and the Rec Room.” 

“Rec Room?” Celeste echoed, a gleam in her eye. “I’ll be interested to check that out.”

“That makes one of you,” Byakuya said, adjusting his glasses. “I’ll be in the library.”

“We should investigate the area and see if there are any hidden areas we may not know of!” Taka suggested. “Perhaps a way to strike at Junko at the 4th floor!” 

“That sounds fruitful,” Kyoko agreed. She stood up and looked to Makoto. “You would be the most familiar with the layout. Would you like to accompany me?” 

Makoto was about to nod, when he remembered the last time Mukuro was late to breakfast: _because Junko had been in her room the night before to taunt her._ “In a little bit. There’s something I want to do first.” 

Leaving the dining hall in a bit of a rush, he made his way over to Mukuro’s room. 

“Hey loverboy, whatcha doing?” 

He hadn’t expected Monokuma to just pop out of the wall on his way over to obstruct him. “None of your business, Junko.” 

“Aw come on!” The bear whined. “Call me Headmaster Monokuma. I like feeling dominant. Really gets me going.” 

Makoto gave the bear a look of disgust. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Isn’t one of your rules that you won’t get in our way or interfere with our school life?”

“I’m not interfering!” The bear giggled. “Just having a friendly chat with a regular playboy on campus.”

“You must have an abundance of free time,” Makoto quipped, dryly. “Don’t you have any despair to manage on the outside? Bombings to plan? Or are you just so bored you have to spy on a bunch of teenagers like a creep?”

“Oh my Naegi, you wound me!” Junko said, faux-hurt in her voice as Monokuma put a hand over where it’s heart would be. “You know more than anyone my Ultimate Despair has enough information from me to keep the party outside raging for years!” 

“So I get to deal with you instead. Lucky me.” 

“Well, it is your talent!” Junko teased. “In fact, you should consider yourself very lucky!” 

“I’d ask why you say that, but I don’t think I want to know,” Makoto sighed. “Then again, I bet you’re just going to tell me anyway.”

“Puhuhu! Give the boy a prize!” The bear giggled again. “I just thought I’d warn you before you go hunting down my disappointment of a sister! I don’t think she’s very happy with you or the detective right now.” 

“Mhmm,” Makoto replied, though he couldn't help but feel concern and worry seep into his heart. “I think I’ll see for myself.”

“You sure?” Junko sneered. “I haven’t told any lies up until now, have I?”

“Clever omissions and half truths don’t make you a paragon of honesty,” Makoto spat back. “I believe in Mukuro way more than I’d ever believe in you.” 

For once, this seemed to shut Junko up. The thought that anyone could actually believe in her sister had never actually crossed her mind. She had just assumed Naegi was an absolute push over who was nice to everyone. Then again, if there was one person Junko Enoshima could never figure out, it was Makoto Naegi. 

But, for someone as smart as she was, she tried a different approach. “Wow, you really care about her, huh?”

To his credit, while his cheeks darkened slightly, Makoto stood steadfast against the bear. “I care about all of my friends, Mukuro included.”

“Even if you had to choose between two of them?” Monokuma asked. “Or what if it was between one of them and yourself?”

Makoto just shook his head. “I’m not falling for any of this, Junko.” 

“I’m just saying. I think Mukuro isn’t very thrilled with you or Kirigiri! You may want to pick your loyalties!” 

“The only loyalty I have to worry about is us against you,” Makoto replied. “Unless you’re willing to listen to reason.”

While he couldn’t see it, Junko’s eyebrow was twitching in frustration. Five deaths, and this kid was still unshakeable. 

After a brief pause, Monokuma gave a friendly wave. “Okay, good luck then!” 

As the bear vanished, Makoto continued his stride toward Mukuro’s room. The fire in his gut was reignited, which was the opposite effect of what Junko wanted. 

Makoto rang the doorbell to Mukuro’s room without hesitation. When the soldier opened the door, she looked far more beaten down than he had ever seen her. Her eyes were sunken, her hair was disheveled, and she was slouched over in contrast to her usual immaculate posture. 

Immediately, concern and worry was awash over Makoto’s face. Mukuro hated it; she didn’t deserve it. Right now she didn’t even know if she wanted it. “Hey, are you okay, Mukuro?” 

“I’m fine, Makoto.” She lied, “I just don’t feel well.”

“Oh...” He replied, “I’m sorry, Mukuro. I was going to explore the third floor with the others, did you want to come with me? Or did you want me to bring you something?” He shifted on his feet, the wheels turning in his mind. “I mean I already know the third floor, it hasn’t been so long since I was up there. I can stay here with you and go another time.”

She hated how good his concern felt, how warm his gaze and attention made her feel. That he was willing to drop an exploration because she might need him.

But now there was Junko in her head. _He isn't concerned for you. He's concerned because that’s who he is. A nice, patient young man who would chip in to help anyone._

_I’m no one special. I’m not Kirigiri or Maizono._

“I don’t think Junko had any hidden things on the third floor. And I kind of just want to be alone today,” Mukuro replied. “I think I’m just going to rest.”

Makoto frowned. “Oh... you never get sick. Okay. Well. I’ll come by and check on you later, okay?”

Her heart fluttered. Why did he insist on doing this to her? She really didn’t know how she could take it. It was unfair, really. Especially if he did have something going on with the detective. “That’s okay. You don’t have to.”

His chipper smile made her feel jittery inside. “It’s okay, I want to.” He told her. “Get some rest, okay?”

She nodded, and shut the door, retreating to her bed. Makoto turned and headed back towards the school building, making his way to the third floor.   
\------  
Once there, he found things were really just how they’d been left. The physics lab with the air purifier, the art room, the rec room... all things that had been great pastimes for the last year. 

Nothing seemed out of place, though he did explore the walls of each room, looking for any sort of hidden panel or anything of the sort. Unfortunately, he had no such luck this time. As he was leaving the rec room, he bumped into Chihiro and Kyoko.

“Oh! There you are!” Chihiro said. “I wanted to show you guys something in the bath house.”

Kyoko nodded. “We were looking for you. I take it Mukuro was of no help?”

He shook his head. “She didn’t feel good, and said Junko didn’t seem to have any hidden areas on this floor. What’s up, Chihiro?”

The programmer fiddled his fingers nervously. “I’ll um... I’ll tell you when we get there.”

The three made their way back down to the first floor, and upon entering the bathhouse, Chihiro opened a locker to reveal the original laptop with Alter Ego, and a small tablet device with another Alter Ego on it, plugged into the laptop. 

“Greetings!” Both Alter Egos said. “Master has told me so much about you and your plan!”

“Hey Alter Ego, how have you been?” Makoto asked. 

“It’s been a little lonely in this locker,” they said in unison, “but Master brings friends to see me often!”

“Is that a good idea?” Kyoko asked. “Would it be bad if it learned too much from certain classmates?” 

“No, not at all,” Chihiro replied, happily. “It’s a reflection of my own personality, so I don’t think it would deviate too much. So we’re going to take this one,” he held up the tablet, “and plug him into ethernet port. It took a minute to find a way to get the cable to connect the two, but this one here will be able to infiltrate Junko’s databases and hopefully find some sort of weakness.”

“Do you think it will be able to render the Monokuma’s useless or open the door?” Kirigiri asked.

Chihiro frowned. “That I don’t know. I had to make the task vague enough since we don’t know how well we’d be able to get into these systems.”

“I want to help!” The tablet Alter Ego said, eagerly. “Just plug me in and I’ll do whatever is most disruptful for Junko!”

Makoto smiled. “Thank you, Alter Ego! I bet you’ll be a big help!”

The simulated face gave him a big smile back. “Thank you Makoto!” 

“There’s only one problem,” Chihiro said, nervously. “If I try and enter that secret room, Junko will know what we’re doing.”

“Well, we could do our best to distract her.” Kyoko suggested. “Makoto and I will each go to two locations and call for Monokuma. That will keep Junko busy, and you can get in, get out, and we can let Alter Ego do what it can.”

Chihiro puffed out his chest. “Yeah! That’s a good plan!”

“Alright,” Kirigiri said. “Chihiro and I will go to the second floor. Makoto, you head to the stairs. When I am near the library, I will shout for Monokuma, and Chihiro will make a break for the restroom. Then, Makoto, when you hear me, run to the gym and call Monokuma as well. That should be sufficient. Are we prepared?”

The two boys nodded, and Chihiro stuffed the tablet under his shirt. The three of them left the bathhouse together, ready to enact the plan. 

Dutifully, Makoto waited outside the first floor stairs, leaning against the wall, trying to act somewhat casual. He became briefly aware how hard it was to be inconspicuous when consciously thinking about it. Had he ever leaned against a wall before? No. He got off the wall. He was thinking too hard about this. 

He heard Kyoko call loudly for the headmaster, and did not wait to hear what the conversation was going to be. He turned and walked into the gymnasium, momentarily looking at where Mukuro had nearly been impaled by spears. _Why did I have to do it in this room?_

“HEY JUNKO!” Makoto yelled at the top of his lungs.

It took a moment, but the Monokuma doll sprang up from the gym podium, as it had a tendency to do every time it appeared in that room. 

“Jeez, whattaya want, Naegi!” The bear grunted. “We just talked! And call me headmaster Monokuma!” 

“Oh, I was just wondering if you knew why Mukuro was unhappy with me and Kirigiri?” He asked, thinking of the first lie that popped into his head. 

Monokuma scoffed. “That’s it? Gee, I thought you believed in her. Ask her yourself.”

“Well, it’s rude to pry at a lady’s secrets,” he countered. “And you’re already prying constantly, so I thought maybe it’d be better to ask you.”

Monokuma flashed it’s claws angrily. “I don’t think I like what you’re implying, Naegi! I am a respected and world-renowned education professional!”

“Monokuma or Junko? I mean I guess I saw a lot of those dumb Monokuma masks on the news...”

“You’re really pushing this so-called Ultimate Luck of yours,” Monokuma grunted. “Bold words for someone who failed in their promise to stop me and take apart everything I’ve built.”

“Well, I’m still standing,” Makoto replied, pointing back at the bear. “So I haven’t lost yet.” 

“Geez. Well to answer your question, if you’re wondering why the soldier is so upset with you, figure it out yourself if you think you’re so great!” 

Before he could get another word in, the bear vanished. 

Makoto gulped. He hoped that would have been enough time. 

Turning, he walked out of the gym and was relieved to see Chihiro and Kyoko waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. Wordlessly, the two game him a thumbs up.

He felt the world drop off his shoulder, slightly. Hopefully, this would be fruitful.   
\------  
Mukuro was napping throughout the morning, but the sleep was choppy and unrestful. Part of it was knowing that what Junko wanted, what Junko was really trying to get, was for her to kill. That’s why she kept sending the bear, that’s why she was making her feel things like jealousy and anger. Because Junko always got what she wanted. And the only thing keeping Junko from getting it was Mukuro’s willpower not to give in to her sister’s demands. 

The caveat was that being the Ultimate Soldier had come at a price. She had realized it during the night. She was not just a soldier. She was Junko’s soldier, and had been there whole lives right up until very recently. And now, she was trying to figure who she was if she wasn’t Junko’s Soldier.

_Like Makoto had said, you couldn’t just turn off that conditioning._

_There are still some sharp kitchen knives in the dining hall._

_Just a push down the stairs._

_An accident with the darts._

These thoughts kept waking Mukuro up. Because Junko had made it so tempting to get rid of Kirigiri. She knew right now, Makoto was probably with the long-legged detective, exploring the third floor. Maybe he was breaking her out of her shell once again, just like he had done for the last two years 

The thoughts made her cringe internally. Kirigiri had been nothing but fair to her. Even after the reveal that she was Junko’s sister. There were never accusations or small-minded judgments. Even if the soldier had a grudge, there was no justifiable reason to eliminate her.

She rolled over on her bed for what seemed like the hundredth time. She was restless, despite being exhausted. 

_What would Makoto say to me? What would his advice to me be?_

She closed her eyes. _Would this even really make Junko happy? Would she really forgive me? Do I even want that?_

Two years ago, she remembered watching Junko stab Matsuda in the stomach. Her sister had revelled in the despair of watching the man she loved die. And Makoto had been right, Mukuro hadn’t been any safer than Junko’s own love had been. 

_I’ve never cared about what happens to me before. Why is this so different?_

It was a little before noon when Mukuro finally stood up, figuring she wasn’t going to find any respite in her room anymore. All she was doing was going back and forth in her head. Maybe this was part of Junko’s plan for the killing game; everyone was going to get restless and sick of feeling stuck eventually. 

Opening her door, she figured maybe some food would be at least a semi-decent distraction. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw a package of donuts in the cupboard and frowned. After Makoto, Aoi had been the first one to really give her a chance. She grabbed a donut, figuring she’d have one in the memory of someone she might have called a friend in another life. 

The dining hall was empty, but even the solitude felt a little different outside of her room. She was starting to regret not taking Makoto up on his offer to look around the 3rd floor with him. 

As she ate, she was surprised to see Byakuya walk in. He looked like he was looking for someone, because his look of annoyance changed when he saw her. “Oh good. One of you is nearby.”

“What is it?” Mukuro asked, tiredly. .

“Did you have anything to do with the gates to the 2nd floor of the dormitory’s opening?” He asked.

The soldier’s eyes widened. “The what are what now?” 

Byakuya rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Why am I the only one who notices these things? Come, peasant.” 

Mukuro stood up and followed him. This wasn’t the plan. 

Those doors weren’t supposed to open at any point.


	15. Darkness

It hadn’t been long after their plan had succeeded in hooking up Alter Ego to the ethernet port that Taka announced that the fourth floor had been opened up as well. Makoto, Kyoko, and Chihiro had charged up there, while Mondo volunteered to see if the Main Entrance had been opened. 

Makoto lead the rest of the students who were exploring to the headmaster’s office to look for the button to open the main door, but right before they got there, Monokuma popped up and shouted “HOLD IT!”

“Begone, pest!” Sakura hissed. 

“Wow, I thought we were friends ogre,” Monokuma said, “All I wanted to do is let you know I’ve added a new rule to the handbook; breaking into the headmaster’s office or any locked doors will be punished by execution.” 

“Changing the rules this late in the game to assure it keeps going is poor form,” Celeste said, though her tone remained steady as ever.

“I added a rule. Not changed any of them,” Monokuma laughed. “Big difference. Tah-tah!” 

The bear disappeared. Kyoko went and jiggled the knob on the headmaster’s door just in case, sighing. “Of course. I should have expected.”

“I could bust through it,” Sakura suggested. “I was Junko’s mole, it’s the least I could do to help you all escape.”

“That is fine,” Celeste smiled.

“No!” Makoto shouted, turning and glaring at the gambler angrily. “No one is sacrificing anything. We’ve come too far for that. We don’t even know if the button is still in there! This could all just be a misdirection.”

“He’s right, it would be immoral to ask any of us to give their lives!” Taka agreed. 

“I-I guess you’re right,” Hifumi grumbled. 

“Indeed, we should look around and see what else is around,” Kirigiri suggested. “Makoto can tell us if anything is different from his memory.” 

Together, the group explored the hallway, and after visiting the classrooms, the music hall, the locked staff room, they came to a screeching halt at the door with Monokuma’s face painted on it. 

“I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that this door wasn’t like this before,” Celeste snarked. 

“N-not at all,” Makoto replied. The door required a keycard for entry and the doorknob wouldn’t budge. “This used to be a computer lab. Apparently the tech was put to good use by Junko...” 

“Why would someone make their hideout in such a gaudy, easy to spot door?!” Taka barked. “It’s tacky and poor planning!” 

“Could it be another trap or attempt at misdirection?” Celeste asked. 

Makoto thought for a moment. He’d never really spent any time hanging out with Junko, but... “I think it might be legitimate. She um... likes to stand out.” 

“YO!” 

The students turned to see Mondo charging up to them, panting. “God damn that’s a lot of stairs...”

“A-are we free to go, Mr. Oowada?” Hifumi asked.

Mondo shook his head. “Nah... that door is as solid as ever. Sorry.” 

“Not your fault!” Chihiro said, chipperly. “Maybe we’ll have more good luck with the doors later.”

The group began to split up, searching for anything hidden on that floor. But when the three of them were alone, Chihiro gave a nod and a thumbs up to Makoto and Kyoko. Both of them knew what that meant.

Alter Ego was working quickly against Junko.   
\------  
Unlike the others, the exploration of the 2nd story dorms was not a joint effort between Byakuya and Mukuro. He quickly turned and looked down the non-destroyed hallway. 

But Mukuro knew. Her and Junko had done this before starting the killing game. Well, she had. Junko never did any of the heavy lifting. Mukuro lifted some rubble and made her way to a room where she had stashed some things. 

She had never been a planner. It wasn’t in her blood. She received her orders, whether from the Fenrir higher ups or her sister, and carried them out. Any planning needed to accomplish those goals were, usually short-term plans. Perhaps mid-length if a target required a few extra steps to reach. 

But for some reason, she knew in her heart, before the lockdown, that she needed to have a few extra weapons stored up here... 

Just in case.

_In case of what?_ She had kept asking herself. 

_I don’t know. Just... just do it. You might need to protect yourself. Protect Junko._

_Protect... someone._

She lifted another piece of debris and threw it aside. Finally, she made it to the storage room she had made sure to block off, and found her locker. 

Inside were a variety of firearms. But, there were hardly any she could smuggle out right now. Nor did she really think she’d need them. Still, she took her handgun - a trusty M9 - and placed it into the hem of her skirt, where she had sewn in a custom holster. 

_Ten shots_ , she told herself. _I shouldn’t need any of them. But, just in case..._

She looked around the storage area. The other students who would make up Ultimate Despair and left some of their belongings here when shedding their old, civilian identities. Right now, she realized, they were out there, watching her betrayal, and probably rooting for her death in the killing game.

She had clashed with the Ultimate Swordswoman before, and had come out on top. But she knew many of them were not anyone to underestimate. 

What would she do if she ran into them waiting outside of Hope’s Peak?

Or worse...

Him.

She shuddered. 

Izuru Kamukura was still out there. While he had not been loyal to Junko’s cause, what would he want to do? Would he be happy to see things go off the rails for Junko? Would he be just as bored?

Would he want to get back at her? Get revenge for Chiaki...?

She shook the thought out of her head. She was not a planner, and there was no use worrying about Izuru Kamukura right now. If he wanted to break into Hope’s Peak and kill her so that she was out of the way, he would have done so already.

Probably.

She grabbed something else, too. She’d give it to Makoto later, so he could protect himself. She figured the item was something he could get some use out of. 

As she left the storage room and made her way back to the hallway, she was careful to re-cover the path she took with rubble. The last thing this place needed was Celeste or Byakuya getting their hands on some firearms.

She found Byakuya rummaging through some lockers on the 2nd floor, and she knew immediately the things he was going through did not belong to him. As soon as he was aware of her presence, he straightened up. “What?” He asked, fuming. 

“Maybe we should tell the others about this,” Mukuro suggested, calmly. 

“You can,” he grunted, turning his back to her. Mukuro realized how easy it would have been, in that moment. To just unload a bullet into the back of his head. She shook the thought out as he finished his statement. “I have no interest in running after those children.”

“Suit yourself,” the soldier shrugged, turning and walking out of there.

Her mind was racing as she went down the stairs. Had other areas been opened prematurely? What would have caused this. She worried, briefly, if Junko had been hurt. And another thought entered her mind, which seemed almost foreign:

_Serves her right if she was._

Mukuro stopped in her tracks. 

She’d never thought such things about her sister. Was that okay? Could she even do that? She started walking again a moment later. _Yes. Serves her right if she gets hurt._

She was here to stop her sister. She couldn’t lose sight of that goal. The ten bullets in her skirt were strictly reserved for protecting anyone here that might need it. Perhaps it was because she was the Ultimate Soldier, but having some ammunition, some firepower in her possession gave her confidence. Her strength laid in battle, and she had been out of her element for so long. Even if a gun was worthless against Monokuma, she still felt like she had an equalizer.

As she hit the bottom step, her thoughts were interrupted by an announcement from Monokuma on the speaker.

“Hem hem! Attention all students! This is an emergency announcement! All students meet in the gymnasium at once!”

Mukuro grunted in frustration. Surely, Junko had regained enough composure to address what had happened.   
\------  
The all-too-familiar sight of Monokuma springing from the state of the gym greeted what remained of class 78 of Hope’s Peak. And the bear wasted no time looking incredibly frustrated. 

“Alright, so I’m going to cut to the chase,” the bear growled. “One of you naughty students did something very, very bad! I don’t know which one of you managed to hack the door to the 4th floor open, but believe me, there will be consequences -”

“Why?” Kyoko asked, interrupting the bear.

“Whattaya mean, why?! Because this wasn’t supposed to happen! Each murder gets a new floor. I think a dingus detective like you would have figured that out!” 

“But no rules were broken.” The detective replied, calmly. “No doors were broken down. You have the cameras on us at all times.” 

The bear was speechless for a moment. “Alright. I guess that’s true. I don’t know why I expected you uncultured children to follow implied doctrines of decency or social guidelines that weren’t directly spoon-fed into your mouths.” 

“Then are we free to leave?” Celeste asked, politely.

“NO!” The bear roared. “Of course not! All those rules mean is that I can’t punish this transgression with death! So, I’ll make a deal with you instead. If someone comes forward and tells me who did... whatever to my... netw - doors.” 

Mukuro caught the correction. _Network?_ Her eyes flickered over to Chihiro, who was standing behind Makoto and Kyoko. _Did someone hack her? How?_

“Someone tell me who did what to my doors, and only they will get punished. Otherwise, everyone will be punished in some way.” Monokuma finished. “I need to deal with the person who disrespected my school.”

“BUT NONE OF THESE PUNISHMENTS WILL LEAD TO DEATH?!” Kiyotaka asked. 

“Right. But I can’t confirm they won’t be worse than death!” The bear giggled. 

“Forget it, man.” Mondo growled. “I don’t know shit, but even if I did, I sure as shit wouldn’t tell you.” 

“Puhuhu! We’ll see how strong that resolve is! Someone better tell me by nighttime, or you’ll all be sorry tomorrow!” Monokuma giggled. 

The bear disappeared, and the students all looked to each other. 

“Who. Did. What?!” Byakuya seethed. “I refuse to be inconvenienced by any tomfoolery you commoners caused.” 

“Em... wouldn’t talking about it openly be the same as telling the bear?” Hifumi asked, nervously. 

“I don’t think we should be too worried,” Kirigiri said, folding her arms. “The rules state Monokuma is forbidden from causing our death. Any action he takes will be one we can walk away from.”

“I... wouldn’t be so sure,” Mukuro replied. The students in the room turned to look at her. “As the Ultimate Analyst, Junko can be remarkably cruel, and know how to make you wish you were dead instead. There’s no guarantying anything she does to anyone won’t have permanent repercussions.” 

Chihiro gulped. 

“I think it is obvious only one person has the capability of doing something like this,” Celeste said in a low voice. “I do not see why we should all suffer for their actions.” 

Kirigiri looked cross momentarily and glared back at the gambler. “And what, pray tell, do you mean?” 

“Well, Fujisaki is clearly the only one with these capabilities.” Celeste smiled. “So only he should receive punishment.”

“Oh yeah?” Mondo scowled. “What fucking proof do you have that my bro did it?” He put a protective arm around the programmer, who blushed.

Taka stepped forward. “That’s right! You can’t just choose a target because they seem likely! We should all know that by now!” 

Chihiro squirmed, uncomfortably. Mukuro could tell that was a look of guilt. She looked to Makoto, and he, too, was looking like he was trying very hard not to show any emotions. He wasn’t very good at acting casual. _What did they do?_

Celeste frowned, which was a rare sight for someone so unshakeable. “I see. So you intend for all of us to take the fall for your little friend?” 

“If you think my fucking bro did something, prove it!” Mondo scowled. 

“I agree,” Sakura added. “No one will be taking any unjust punishment.”

There was a pause over the gymnasium, and Celeste simply turned and smiled at Kirigiri. “Ah. I see. So you’ve managed to turn the tables on me. How quaint.”

“Evidence is the name of the game, Ludenberg.” Kyoko replied, stoically. “You can’t just baselessly point fingers.” 

“Well then, I’ll have to find something as proof,” Celeste said, turning and walking out of the gymnasium. 

Byakuya adjusted his glasses. “If I come to harm because you peasants want to sing kumbaya and feel good about things, I’ll be sure to sue you as soon as the courts reopen on the outside.” He turned on his feel and strode out as well. Makoto had a feeling he wasn’t just going sit and wait in the library, either. 

Chihiro had whispered something to Mondo and Taka, and the three of them left quickly.

Mukuro walked over to Makoto, and asked, simply, “Makoto, what happened?”

The smaller boy looked conflicted. “Can... can we talk about this in your room?” 

It took Mukuro by surprise. He’d been in her room, but he’d never asked to come in there. It felt strange for the request to come from him. She frowned. “I have reason to believe that’s no longer a space we won’t be overheard.” 

“Then... the bath house?” 

Mukuro nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.” 

The two walked briskly from the gym, Makoto leading Mukuro to the bath house. As they got there, Makoto turned to her and took a deep breath. “Alright - so um, first, are you okay? Are you feeling better?”

Mukuro had nearly forgotten their earlier conversation in the craziness of the morning. “I mean, I hadn’t gotten much more rest, but I’m okay now. I’m more concerned about the doors to the 2nd floor dorms opening.”

Makoto’s eyes widened. “They opened too?! We thought only the fourth floor had opened. That’s why Junko added the new rule.”

Mukuro’s eyes widened in turn, and she checked her e-book, seeing the rule that had been placed earlier that day. “So both those doors got opened early? What happened?!” 

Makoto shifted his eyes, and leaned in to whisper. Mukuro leaned in. “We had Chihiro hack Junko’s network with Alter Ego.” 

“What?” Mukuro asked. “How?” 

“The ethernet port,” Makoto replied. “In the hidden room.” 

Mukuro looked at the locker over in the storage room and furrowed her brow. “He was able to do that?” 

Makoto nodded. “We think so. Chihiro made a copy of Alter Ego and hooked it up to the Ethernet port earlier today. It wasn’t long after that the doors opened and Monokuma freaked out.” 

“So Celeste was right,” Mukuro frowned. “This could be bad. Junko wants us to keep killing so she can keep broadcasting the game, but if the rules start falling apart, even the unwritten ones, she might start breaking the rules in return.” 

“Do you have any idea what we could be up against?” Makoto asked. 

Mukuro looked at her feet, wringing her hands in her lap. She didn’t like to think about it. It reminded her of the brainwashing she had played a hand in, the probing she had performed on Chisa. The horrible things she had done. The horrible things she had seen the other members of the Ultimate Despair do. 

But as far as what Junko could have in store for them? She had no idea.

So she shook her head. “I know my sister, but predicting her can be... tricky.” 

Makoto frowned and looked to his feet. He wanted to protect everyone. He wanted to protect Mukuro, as that feeling in his chest told him. “Did we make a mistake?”

“I don’t think so,” Mukuro replied, quickly. “This was not something Junko could have expected, not in any of her contingencies. You’ve thrown the whole killing game sideways, and the fact that Chihiro was able to gain the confidence to help... well, Junko wanted to avoid that.”

“What do you mean?”

“All the things Junko’s been working on were only possible because she stole the programming ideas from Chihiro,” Mukuro explained. “She knows her way around code, but not at Chihiro’s level. So by leaving him in the state he was when he first came to the academy was the best way to ensure he didn’t get in the way.” 

“Yeah, Chihiro wanted to fine tune Alter Ego so it could be the most disruptive for Junko’s plans,” Makoto replied. He sat down across from Mukuro. “They must have been some amazing adjustments for Alter Ego to already get in the way this much.”

“Is anyone guarding the device?” Mukuro asked.

Makoto froze up, and looked at Mukuro. “...no. We didn’t want to draw attention to it.” His eyes widened a moment later and he sprang to his feet. “Crap, Celeste is going to get it and turn Chihiro in!”

Mukuro stood up with him. “Well, then our first order of business is to head up to the bathroom and stop that.”

The two took off running out of the bath house. But as they did, something completely unexpected occurred, and the lights to the first floor shut off completely. Thrust into pitch blackness, Makoto skid to a halt, and Mukuro crashed into his back, knocking them both to the floor. 

“Crap!” Makoto shouted, “Mukuro, are you okay?”

“I ran into you, Makoto, I should be the one apologizing.” She said, as she pushed herself up slightly, she could feel her body pressed into his back, and the heat began to rise to her face. She got a whiff of his hair and quivered slightly. He smells really nice.

She got up and felt around for his arm, helping him to his feet. “No, I shouldn’t have just stopped right in front of you because the lights went out.” He said, “What happened?”

After a second or two without the lights, Mukuro frowned, not that he could see it. “Junko made sure to have a backup power source, and a backup power source for the backup. Either this is Alter Ego’s work, or Junko is doing it on purpose to mess with us.” 

“Does this mean the broadcast, the camera, and the monitor’s are down too?” Makoto asked.

“I think so. Let’s check,” Mukuro replied. She cleared her throat. “HEY MONOKUMA!”

The two waited, bated breath, for the monochromatic bear to appear. 

But no one answered. 

“Well, it could still be a ploy,” Mukuro frowned. “Maybe she wants us to think that she can’t hear us. I don’t know.”

“Either way, we need to get to the second floor to check.” Makoto said. Suddenly, the light from the E-handbook dimly illuminated his face. “Is there a flashlight on this thing?” 

“No,” she sighed. “We’ll just have to turn the brightness up and use that.” 

He sighed too, doing just that and turning the screen away from him. Mukuro’s heart fluttered as his other hand reached out and grabbed hers. 

She used to always chastise herself for that sort of feeling, but she didn’t mind it so much anymore. She liked how Makoto made her feel. _Maybe I just didn’t like because Junko made me feel so ashamed of it._

She intertwined her fingers with his, and felt him stiffen. “F-for safety.” He said.

“R-r-right.” She stuttered. She’d never outwardly showed affection for someone before, other than the hug she had given him a few days ago out of an abundance of gratitude. 

_Maybe she’s wrong,_ Mukuro found herself thinking. _Maybe, when we get out of here..._

The two slowly walked through the dorm and into the hallway for the school building. Thankfully it was a pretty straightforward path. But it was about the time they were outside of the school store that they heard a scream and a thud at about the bottom of the stairs. They instinctively looked towards each other, though they couldn’t actually see each other’s faces, and quickened their pace to the source of the scream. They were shocked to see Kirigiri on the ground, clutching her ankle.

Makoto let go of Mukuro’s hand and ran forward, couching next to the detective. “Kyoko! Are you alright?! What happened?!” 

Mukuro fumbled around in her own pockets to get her e-book to illuminate the two of them. 

“Y-yes I should be okay,” Kyoko said through her teeth. “I - AH!”

She tried to climb to her feet, but collapsed forward into Makoto’s outstretched arms. 

“Let me see,” Mukuro said, gently, and knelt down next to the two. She extended her handbook towards the detectives leg and let out a low whistle. “That’s a broken ankle.”

“Damn it,” the detective cursed. “Someone pushed me from the steps when I was about halfway down.” 

“Any idea who?” Makoto asked.

“Unfortunately, in this darkness, no.” Kyoko cursed. “Ikusaba, can you take your light and check the stairs for any prints or hairs?”

“Um... sure, I can try,” the soldier replied. She stood up and cautiously, making her way up the steps. But as she got to the top, she found nothing out of place. “No, I’m not seeing anything. We need to get her to the nurse’s room.” 

As she stepped down to the bottom step, she was surprised, and perhaps a bit jealous to see Makoto had already crouched down and scooped up Kyoko bridal style. His face looked a bit strained, but he had that look of fierce determination in his eyes he had during investigations and trials. “Mukuro, can you lead the way?” 

“Of course,” the soldier replied. She placed her hand on Makoto’s back to guide him and shined her handbook outward, and the two made their way, as quickly as they could, to the nurse’s office.


	16. Love and Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirigiri's broken ankle spurs some conversations between Makoto and Mukuro

“Kirigiri, what were you doing when this happened?” Mukuro asked, head still swimming from everything that had happened in the last twenty minutes or so. It was already an awkward walk, guiding Naegi and Kirigiri to the nurse’s office in the dark. A little conversation couldn’t hurt.

“Well, after the debacle in the gymnasium, I decided to head up to the 2nd floor boy’s room to make sure the Alter Ego tablet was unharmed. Unfortunately, the tablet was removed.” The detective explained. 

“Crap,” Makoto groaned. “Just what we didn’t want.”

“I suspect Celeste has something to do with that,” Kirigiri mused. “But, I can’t say for sure. If Junko had an inkling we would have used the port in the hidden room, she could have gotten a Monokuma to get it immediately.”

“I guess the only thing we can do is find Celeste and ask,” Mukuro suggested.

“Worth a try, but we may not get a straight answer from her,” Kirigiri advised. “You two would know better than any of us how truthful anything she says is.”

Makoto and Mukuro glanced at each other. Celeste wasn’t even being honest about her own name, so getting the truth from her wasn’t something either of them would bank on. 

“Anyways, when I was at the top of the stairs, I thought I heard something on the first floor. I went down about two steps, and someone shoved me.” Kirigiri finished. “Didn’t see who it was.” 

“The important thing is that you’re okay,” Makoto assured her. “Let’s get you fixed up.”

They arrived at the nurse’s office and went to the nearest bed. Makoto gently laid Kyoko down, though she still let out a yelp of pain as her ankle hit the mattress. “Sorry!” He cried out. 

“What do we do?” Makoto asked, to both of them. “I don’t know anything about a broken ankle...”

“We have to make sure the bones are properly aligned, then set it and wrap it.” Mukuro answered. “I’ve had to do it to comrades on the battlefield. Going to be nearly impossible to do in the dark, though...”

“Can you try?” Makoto asked as he shined his e-book around the room. “Maybe I can find a flashlight or something...”

She nodded. “I can certainly make the attempt. Let me know if you find one. Kirigiri, shine your light down on your ankle,” Mukuro ordered. 

The detective nodded, and did as such. Mukuro knelt down next to the bed, and said, “This is probably going to hurt, but I’m going to see if the bone is aligned.”

“Go ahead,” Kirigiri said, bracing.

Mukuro felt around the ankle, ignoring the quivers and sharp intakes of breath the detective was letting out from pain. As much as she had been tempted by the idea of getting rid of Kirigiri, like Junko said, causing her pain like this didn’t bring her happiness.

She wasn’t even sure why she was helping, really. _Maybe Makoto really is rubbing off on me?_ Surely, helping the detective was the right thing to do. He had asked her what to do, so she just... did it.

It didn’t feel bad. She had been a lone wolf for so long, and had thought of herself as only the guardian for her alpha, Junko. 

Maybe this was what being in a pack was about. 

“Your bone is aligned, which is good news.” Mukuro said. “We just need to find a splint and we can wrap it.”

“Oh! I just saw those!” Makoto cried out, turning his handbook quickly and grabbing the supplies. “What can I do to help?”

Even in the dark, Mukuro could see the fire in his eyes. 

She loved seeing it.  
\------  
_“Come on you fucking cow,” Junko seethed. “I need these last compounds so we can have the mixture for the memory erasure.”_

_“Yes, Junko,” Mukuro blushed. This was more attention than she had gotten from her sister in months!_

_“Let’s get these to my dorm and I’ll finish preparing,” Junko sighed, boredom dripping from her voice. “Being stuck here with these losers has been too much boredom and not enough despair.”_

_Even for Mukuro, the crate she had was heavy. She grunted as she carried it all the way from down to the first floor. She felt like her arms were ready to give out, when she heard a voice call to them from the gymnasium._

_“Oh! Mukuro! Let me give you a hand!”_

_Mukuro saw the scruffy hair of Makoto Naegi running over to them, and taking hold of the other side of the crate, lightening the load before either Mukuro or Junko could stop him._

_“Jeez!” Makoto grunted. “This is so heavy! You’re really strong to have lugged that down the stairs.”_

_Junko put on her Fashionista voice, as she always did for the other students. “Aw! But like, what a perfect gentleman you are, Naegi. That’s soooo chivalrous!”_

_“N-no, I just want to help Mukuro out, she’s always taking heavy things off my hands,” he replied through a strained voice. “Wow, what are you guys moving like this?”_

_Junko giggled. “Makoto, you know it’s rude to ask a girl about her personal items. You’re not thinking anything unsavory, are you?”_

_“N-no, of course not!”_

_The two of them hauled the box into Junko’s room, and the two gently placed the care on the floor while Junko looked on._

_“Thanks Naegi!” Junko said with a smile plastered all over her face. “You’re like, the best.”_

_Makoto blushed slightly. “N-no problem, you two. I’ll let you go through whatever girl stuff is in there.” He turned to leave and jiggled the handle on Junko’s door. “Huh... Enoshima, is your door jammed?”_

_Junko’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but she kept her persona flawless, as usual. “Jeez, that’s some bad luck for the Ultimate Lucky Student. Here, lemme see.”_

_Junko pulled on her door, brow furrowing slightly. Makoto stepped back and looked, speaking up. “Oh, it looks like when we were moving that crate it knocked the hinges out of alignment, do you want -”_

_He was interrupted as Junko lifted the door, which was off one of the hinges as Makoto had said, and it flew back and smacked her directly in the forehead. She gave a yelp of pain and fell backwards, right into Makoto’s arms._

_“Junko are you okay?!” He said, shocked._

_“OF COURSE I’M NOT YOU GODDAMN MORON!” The analyst hissed out in pain, breaking her facade. “I GOT HIT WITH A DOOR!”_

_Makoto was, to both sister’s surprise, unfazed by the tirade, and set Junko down in a chair. He took out his phone and turned on the flashlight setting. “Yeah, I guess I wouldn’t be fine either. Here, open your eyes. This is going to be bright.”_

_“Can you look at the light?” He asked, shining the light at her._

_“Sure?” She asked. “What are you - are you making sure I don’t have a concussion?”_

_“Yeah, exactly,” he replied with a smile. “I’ve had my fair share of accidents, so I know how the process goes. Follow the light with your eyes, not your head.”_

_Mukuro watched as Makoto moved his phone in all four cardinal directions. It always amazed her how quick he was to take care of anyone he saw, even if they were angry, even if they didn’t usually let people close, like Junko. His abundance of compassion and kindness always took precedence over his shyness. It was a reason everyone got along with him; he was the first person to make you feel better, and make you feel comfortable when things weren’t great. She’d grown to love that about him over the last year. Even Junko had trouble denying a request from him, but it might have been because he was one of the few things she couldn’t predict._

_Her eyes widened as she realized it._

_She’d grown to love him. All of him._

_She loved him._

_And he was probably going to die._

_After another minute, he turned the light on his phone off. “Okay, I think you’re okay. Want me to go grab a toolkit and work on your door?”_

_“No, thanks Makoto,” Junko said, recovering and plastering that smile back on her face. “You’ve done more than enough.”_

_“Well, okay. See you guys around.” He turned and gave Mukuro a small wave, and she did the same, avoiding his gaze._

_As soon as he was out of the way, Junko rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Oh my God he’s like some sort of... cartoon teddy bear. I can’t stand it.”_

_Mukuro said nothing. Junko loved the classmates in her own way. That’s why this killing game was going to bring her so much despair._

_But Mukuro was in love, and she hated the timing of it._  
\------

“Alright,” Mukuro said. “It’s wrapped up. You should be okay, but you’re going to want to stay off of it.” 

“I don’t have time for that. Are there any crutches around here?” Kyoko asked. 

Makoto rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, yes, but you really should rest, Kyoko. Is there anything you need us to do?” 

The detective sighed, defeated. “Just see if you can find Celeste so we can figure out what’s going on with Alter Ego. Check the second floor.”

“You got it!” Makoto replied with a grin. “Come on, Mukuro!” 

The soldier nodded, and the two left the nurse’s office. She couldn’t help but smile when Makoto reached for her hand once more, and didn’t hesitate to intertwine his fingers in hers again. 

It made her feel brave. It was an odd notion; she’d faced death many times in her life without fear, but an absence of fear and bravery are two very different feelings. She felt stronger by his side. 

But the detective they had left in the nurse’s office had put seeds of doubt in her heart.

If there was a time to clear it up, she felt now was the time to do it. Even with that determination, she couldn’t seem to find her voice until they had reached the stairs.

“Hey... Makoto?” She asked. 

“What’s up?” 

“Can I ask... why you - and Kyoko, too - didn’t tell me you found that hidden room?” She asked. 

Makoto frowned, guilt stirring in his chest. “Oh... well, I wanted too. I wanted to ask if you knew about it, actually. But Kirigiri asked I didn’t, in case you were the mole. She just wanted to see if Chihiro could help, and didn’t want to risk anyone else finding out.”

“Oh... well... I guess that’s understandable.” Mukuro mumbled softly. “How um... how did you two find it?” Her heart raced as she asked. This was the real question, the one she had been fearing for the last few days.

“Kyoko found it first,” Makoto replied. “She dragged me up there later to show me. I guess she figured I was useful after the first trial. Why do you ask?”

 _Of course,_ Mukuro flinched. _I can’t believe I let Junko manipulate me like that._ “Well... the reason I didn’t feel great this morning was because... Junko came to talk to me again last night through Monokuma.”

Makoto stopped, causing his hand to tug on hers, pulling her closer to him on accident. Usually he’d be embarrassed by that, but in the dim light of their handbooks, Mukuro could see concern being the only emotion etched into his eyes. “Mukuro, I’m so sorry she’s tormenting you like this. Is everything okay?”

“Y-yes,” Mukuro stuttered, blushing a bit. “Come on...” 

She led Makoto up to the second floor, hoping they could leave the discussion there. Unfortunately, Makoto was a bit more persistent than that.

“What does that have to do with the second floor boys room?” He asked. “What did she say?”

“She... showed me something that upset me,” Mukuro replied. “Tried to tempt me into killing... someone.”

“What did she show you?” 

Mukuro’s heart was hammering in her chest now, that bravery faltering slightly. 

“S-s-she showed me K-Kyoko grabbing your hand and pulling you into the bathroom. Saying she needed you.” Mukuro replied. "She was hoping it'd goad me into... killing Kyoko."

As if on cue, the lights to the second floor kicked on, and Mukuro got a good look at the shocked and bewildered expression on Makoto’s face.

“She showed you that to upset you?” He asked, brow furrowed. She could see the dominoes falling into place beyond his eyes. “I... Mukuro, are you... jealous?” 

Mukuro froze, knowing full well her face was scarlet. 

In that moment, she remembered something Junko had told her not long after the lockdown in Hope’s Peak had begun.  
\------  
_It had been the third day of the lockdown, to be exactly. Junko and Mukuro were sitting next to each other, eating dinner in the dining hall. Junko would do this just infrequently enough so as not to raise suspicion that they were anything more than acquaintances._

_“You’re never going to get him like this.” Junko said, in her bored tone._

_“Huh?” Mukuro asked._

_“You’re staring at Naegi. Again.” Junko yawned._

_It had been true. Mukuro did it often enough it had almost gotten boring for Junko to point it out anymore._

_“Sorry, Junko, I’ll focus more on -”_

_“You just focus when I tell you to focus you little punk ass bitch,” Junko’s tone switched to her punk one. “My point is, you can’t just pine at the little fucker from afar. He’s an herbivore man. You gotta be a carnivore and eat him alive. Go after him until he can’t be oblivious.” Junko laughed, switching to another voice. “If you don’t, maybe I’ll do it. The despair of you having to watch me mack on your little boy toy would be hilarious. I can just imagine the look on your face. I could make you watch me ride him.”_

_Mukuro squirmed. “P-please don’t -”_

_Junko laughed. “Then do something about it. Or be spineless forever. Your call, Muku.”_  
\------  
Mukuro, feeling the heat in her cheeks, gulped. “Y-yes. I’m jealous. I...”

Makoto’s cheeks were tinged pink as well. “Mukuro?”

The words caught in her throat. She wasn’t good at this sort of thing. At least not vocalizing it. _Guess I’ll have to take another route._

She cupped Makoto’s face in her hands and brought her lips to his in a passionate kiss, doing her best to try and convey the words through the action. She was good at actions. 

Makoto felt like his eyes could cartoonishly bulge from his head. His mind was reeling, he was seeing stars behind his eyes, and blood was rushing to his ears (and elsewhere). But as he felt her warmth against him, he let his lips melt back into hers. This was right. He wanted this. 

Her tongue slipped into his mouth, and he reciprocated. It was sloppy, as the two were inexperienced, but it was passionate, and the two shook when they finally pulled away.

“Wow,” Makoto breathed. 

“I... yeah,” Mukuro said, resting her forehead against his. “I um... I was jealous.”

“I see...” he said back. He placed his handbook back in his pocket and grabbed both her hands. “You shouldn’t be.”

“I... Are you sure?” She asked, unable to think another phrase to emphasize her own self-doubt.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “I... I really like you, Mukuro. I have for a long time. You’ve always... always been there for me. You’ve saved my butt more times than I can count.” 

“Even... even though I’m a killer? That it’s my fau-” 

It was Makoto’s turn to interrupt Mukuro by kissing her. Another passionate smooch later, he pulled away and beamed at her. “I’m sure. You’re what I want Mukuro.” 

She smiled back. “I’ll ask again. You’re sure? Not someone smarter, or prettier, or kinder? You’ll stick with what you want... and that’s me?”

He nodded, beaming at her still. “Of course.”

She felt invincible in that moment. 

“We should um... talk about this later,” Makoto chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’re supposed to be finding Celeste.”

Mukuro giggled as well. The sound seemed foreign coming from her lips. “You’re right... puppy.”

Makoto looked a bit surprised. “Puppy?”

“O-oh... because I’m a wolf... from Fenrir... we would call ourselves wolves... and um... I guess it doesn’t make sense, nevermind.” 

“No, I like it!” Makoto beamed. “You can call me that whenever. Come on, let’s keep looking.”

Hand in hand, they continued their search. They didn’t feel like anything could ruin their day. 

Right up until they turned around, opened the library, and found Byakuya Togami’s bloody corpse laying on the floor. 

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Makoto screamed, jumping back. 

“No!” Mukuro gasped. 

Sakura came thundering down the stairs. “Are you two alrigh - WHAT?!”

The screens in the building all lit up, Monokuma appearing on them. “Hem hem! A body has been discovered! Everyone, please report to the library.”

Soon, enough, all remaining nine students were there, save for Kirigiri. “Um... Sakura, could you help Kirigri? She fell down the stairs in the dark and twisted her ankle.” Makoto asked.

Sakura nodded, and left. Minutes later, she returned carrying Kyoko and some crutches. The detective used them to make her way over to Byakuya’s corpse. 

With everyone gathered, Monokuma appeared and gave his ever-so-grating laugh. “Puhuhu! Well, looks like with this, long era of the Togami family is truly at an end!”

“And all that money will surely go to waste,” Celeste said with a smile. 

“Not like it matters!” Hifumi grumbled. 

“Now Now, I know you’re all itching to make sassy comments at the class trial, but I still need to pass out -” Monokuma began, but Kyoko cleared her throat to interrupt the bear.

“There is no need,” Kyoko replied. “Because of this sloppy work, I know exactly who the killer is.”


	17. A Sham  Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirigiri claims to have answers, but is it the truth?

“Oh?” The bear asked, tilting its head. “My my, the detective sure is confident.”

“What are you talking about, Kirigiri?!” Taka barked. 

“Well, look,” the detective nodded towards the body. “The cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds to the chest.” 

It wasn't a hard fact to dispute; Byakuya's body was riddled with bullet holes, and the blood splatter left little to no doubt. 

“Well none of us have a fucking gun,” Mondo grunted. “So what makes this so obvious?”

“To the untrained eye,” Kirigiri smirked, “Except, as it turns out... no. Mukuro Ikusaba has one on her possession right now.” 

A few of the students gasped, turning to look at the soldier.

Mukuro kept her nerves steeled, but she could feel her heartbeat accelerate. Only a detective would notice the slight change in the hem of her skirt. Carefully, she produced the gun and pointed it to the ceiling to show no ill-intent. “Yes, when the doors to the second floor dorms opened, I did recover one of my handguns,” she admitted. She ejected the magazine. “However, you can check, all my rounds are still present and accounted for. I have this on me for self-defense and protection only."

"Allow me!" Taka volunteered. Mukuro tossed him the clip, and after a moment, he nodded. "Yes, this is unused!" Without thinking, he tossed it back to her.

"Bro, what the fuck?!" Mondo yelled, clutching his pompadour. "You don't hand a fucking murder suspect fucking bullets, bro!"

"I was just returning her property!" Taka exclaimed. "It's the polite thing to do!" 

“Yes, I know your clip is,” Kirigiri agreed, smiling more. “Because you’re not the one who shot Togami. It was your accomplice, Makoto Naegi.” 

Every eye in the library fell on Naegi. A look of panic and confusions washed over his face as he stepped backwards in surprise. “Me?! W-wait! I’ve never so much as held a gun in my life!” 

Mukuro stepped forward. “Makoto and I were talking in the bathhouse until the power failure. After which, the two of us went to go check for the others, and found Kyoko at the bottom of the stairs. She should know damn well we didn't do it, we were the ones who helped her after she broke her ankle.” 

“Kirigiri, how can you make such an accusation against those would help you?” Sakura asked.

“I-I c-couldn’t believe either of them could do such a thing!” Chihiro added. "M-Makoto and M-M-Mukuro have only been nice to me."

“Although,” Celeste replied, rubbing her chin, “the two of them tend to act as each other's alibis quite frequently.” 

Hifumi adjusted his glasses. "Ah I see. A noticeable, romantic relationship, but it fools us into thinking it's an alibi. But really, they're a Bonnie and Clyde couple!"

“W-we spend a lot of time together!” Makoto stuttered back. “There’s nothing wrong with that! Look, we need to do the actual investigation, don’t we?” 

“Hmm hmm hmm!” Monokuma considered, rubbing his chin. “Perhaps a change of pace could liven things up...”

“They were definitely together... because Makoto and Mukuro planned to kill Byakuya together,” Kyoko interjected. 

“We did no such thing!” Mukuro spat back through grit teeth. 

"QUIET!" The bear yelled, making all the students jump. All eyes turned to him, and he tapped his chin a few more times. 

“My oh my, are we preceding directly with the class trial?” Monokuma cackled. “What’s with all this? Tell you what detective, prove it right now that Makoto did it and I’ll skip right to execution! We can have ourselves a quickie afternoon delight! But if you can't, I'll execute you instead!” 

“Wait what?!” Makoto replied, shocked.

“Hold on, this isn’t what the rules promised!” Kiyotaka argued. “We must give Naegi a fair chance.”

“No no, I think this is very interesting!” Monokuma giggled. “After all, if you guys aren’t playing fair, let this be an example to you all! Come on everyone! TO THE TRIAL CHAMBER!”

Everyone jumped as hordes of Monokuma’s poured from the walls and began pushing all the students down the stairs. Makoto could hear Kiyotaka protest as they were ushered toward the trial door and the elevator. 

“W-what are you doing?!” Makoto cried over the commotion to Kyoko. 

She ignored him as she hobbled forward on her crutches. 

They boarded the elevator, and his heart sank. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him as the elevator descended. He felt his heart sinking in time with the machine. His lone comfort was Mukuro, who reached over and held his hand, tightly. He glanced over and they held each others gaze for the rest of the ride.

There was fear in her eyes. He'd never seen that in her eyes before, and it was no comfort to him, because she was afraid for him. 

The Monokuma horde awaited everyone at the end of the ride, giving an audience for the trial. 

As soon as everyone took their place, the detective continued, before Monokuma could even give his usual, "whodunnit," spiel. 

“The proof is simple,” Kyoko said, pointing at Makoto’s hoodie. “In this light, you can even see the gunshot residue on him.”

Makoto looked down at his hoodie, eyes widening to see some black, faded stains on him. “Wha...?” 

“And,” The detective moved with her crutches forward while he was in shock, and dug her hand into his hoodie pocket.

She pulled out an empty magazine that matched the one Mukuro had brandished. “The empty cartridge. Afterwards, he gave the gun to Mukuro to dispose of.” 

Silence fell over the classmates as they stared at the empty clip. Makoto could only look at Kyoko, hurt and confused, and utter, "I didn't put that there, Kirigiri."

"And why should we believe you?" Kirigiri spat back.

“Hard to argue with such evidence,” Celeste said, smiling. “I guess this saves us some time.” 

“W-wait!” Kiyotaka replied. “Surely that evidence could have been planted?!” 

“Makoto, what say you to these accusations?!” Sakura barked, a battle aura surrounding her. 

“I swear, Makoto was with me the whole time!” Mukuro interjected. “We didn’t even go near the library!” 

“B-but... how else would he have the gunshot residue on him?” Chihiro asked. "I don't want to believe it, but..."

A silence fell over the group. Makoto began to panic. “I don’t know how it got there, honest! It wasn’t on there before the blackout. And I’ve never used a gun before in my life, there’s no way I could have shot Byakuya in the dark!” 

“But the rest of us were on the fourth floor until we heard the announcement, even the goth,” Mondo replied. “You’re the only fuckers who could’ve done it!” 

Another silence fell. Makoto and Mukuro looked from person to person, and all of them looked away. 

“Wow, what a turn of events!” Monokuma cackled. “Here I thought I’d have to wait, but I got a bonus quickie trial! Alright, come on lucky boy! They got it right! You're the blackened!” 

Makoto’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean they got it right?!” 

“That’s not right at all!” Mukuro yelled. "Junko, what the fuck are you doing?!"  
Mukuro had hoped to call out her sister, but of course, her frustration and despair was only making her sister happy. In fact, in the control, Junko wriggled to herself, happily, to see how devastated every students was.  
\-----  
_"What... what is this?" Junko asked, finding it hard to keep her facade of Ultimate Fashionista when Makoto was in front of her first thing in the morning. She was figuring she'd grace the rest of class 78 with her presence at breakfast, when Mr. Ahoge himself popped up to bother her._

_"Well," Makoto said, rubbing the back of this neck. Under his other arm were two boxes crudely wrapped in newspaper. "I made something for everyone for Christmas, but I remembered you were born Christmas Eve! So," he handed her one of the boxes. "Happy birthday and Merry Christmas!"_

_Junko raised her eyebrows and took the box._

_No one had given her a birthday present. Not in person, at least. She was always mailed a thousand things from her many admirers, and she knew the Ultimate Despair were torturing themselves in her tribute today. Mukuro always asked if she wanted something, and Junko would always have the same answer; a better sister._

_She didn't recall ever telling anyone her birthday before, so leave it to Makoto to ask around and be nosy only for the sake of making other people happy. It was so..._

_Awful. Like him._

_Still, she kept the charade up, and opened the present. Inside was a doll. It was... interesting. She didn't need much in the way of being the Ultimate Analyst to see Makoto had made this himself, poorly stitched and stuffed as it was._

_"I-I know you're too old for like... dolls and stuff," Makoto said, blushing. "B-but I always make stuff like this for my younger sister, and we only have so many spare materials in the art room I actually know how to use," he chuckled. "I'm not great at sewing but I've torn my hoodie enough with my bad luck to know how to fix it."_

_Junko brought it to her face._

_It was cute, in a way. The little stuffed toy was crude, but he clearly put a lot of work into it. It was certainly one of the more thoughtful things she'd ever seen in her life. "So you did something like this for everyone?"_

_"W-well, I didn't make everyone a doll," he laughed, nervously. "But yeah, I've got something for everyone. Did you know Mukuro was born today too? I'm going to give her one too."_

_Junko gave him a big smile. "I'll deliver it to her, Makutie! I'm on my way to see her now."_

_"Oh, are you sure?" He replied, rubbing his cheek. "Um... okay. Let me know how she likes it."_

_Taking the other box, she waited for him to leave. Stepping back into her dorm, she opened the box to see Mukuro had another doll, though Makoto had made a camouflaged helmet for the soldier's. Junko held the two in her hands and looked at her door._

_The other classmates were going to eat this shit up. Makoto was always doing thoughtful things like this to cheer them up._

_She hated it. It was so inspiring, so kind, so full of hope._

_But worst of all?_

_She hated that looking at that doll, that nice, thoughtful present he made her..._

_She kind of liked it, too._

_She threw both dolls in the garbage. Killing Makoto would break them all, and she was going to devour that despair._  
\------

Makoto opened his mouth to object, but it was too late. A chain shot from the Monokuma’s belly and wrapped itself around Makoto’s throat. He was pulled out of the trial, through a panel in the wall...

... and he found himself chained to a school desk, in front of a teacher’s desk. A stuffed Monokuma toy in a graduation cap was pointing at an electric screen on the desk that read, “Monokuma’s Special Lesson.” 

The desks began moving backwards.

Makoto heard a slam. 

Makoto Naegi’s life was something he’d consider as being full of surprises. He’d had enough run ins with good and bad luck to say things didn’t stay dull for long in his life. If you had told him, the day he got his letter from Hope’s Peak, that he’d be living there due to a disaster, he’d say you were crazy. 

So finding himself rushed through a sham trial, on a conveyor belt to a crushing mechanism was something he’d file under, “incredibly unpleasant surprise.” Possibly, he’d even have to invent a new category for it.

He could feel his face turning blue; he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

Where did he go wrong today? What happened? He woke up, helped explore the new floor, helped Chihiro and Kyoko with installing Alter Ego, and explored the fourth floor... no where would he have gotten gunshot residue or a cartridge.

Wait.

SLAM!

He could hear the pounding crusher approaching behind him. He looked up and saw his classmates in the distance, and he looked up at Kirigiri. As they made eye contact, he recognized the look in her eyes.

Guilt. 

Kyoko did not look victorious in proving the case. In fact, she looked devastated. She met his gaze, now full of guilt and remorse as he moved further away.

She had planted this evidence on him, he realized. He picked her up in the dark, which he had struggled with, for sure. But he hadn’t noticed her fidgeting.

She had slipped him the gun cartridge. 

She had contaminated his hoodie. 

And she had played him like a fiddle. 

He could hear the crushing mechanism behind him growing closer. How did Mukuro look fearless in the face of death? He tried desperately, but he could feel the tears slipping down his face instead. 

And then...

A face appeared on the screen in front of him. Chihiro’s face was looking at him, and smiled. 

The crushing mechanism creaked and groaned above him.

And then... Makoto fell. He fell, and fell, and plummeted, falling through the darkness away from all of his friends. 

He considered this an unpleasant surprise as well... though perhaps less so than the sham trial. 

The landing was less than pleasant; the desk he was chained to collapsed against against a pile of...

_What is this?!_

Makoto’s eyes adjusted to the dim light and realized he was laying in a pile of banana peels, donut boxes, and food waste. 

“Gross...” he groaned. “Am I alive? Is this part of the execution?”

He looked around, holding his breath, waiting for something to come shoot him, something to set him on fire, or tear his limbs off.

But... nothing happened. 

Standing up, he was happy to find nothing was broken.

It smelled awful in there... wherever there was. 

Makoto looked around, seeing chutes all along the wall, twenty or so feet above him, dumping apple cores and wads of paper down into the room.

“I fell into the trash room?!” He groaned. “Well... I guess that’s probably lucky. This is probably the only place that would break that fall.”

He climbed the stairs out of the trash pit and tried to open the exit door... but it was locked.

“Crap...” Makoto sighed. “Well... I’m alive. How do I get out of here...?”  
\-----  
Things had broken down back in the trial, after the execution had not gone according to schedule. 

“Hey, what was that?!” Monokuma scowled, “I thought I got rid of that thing!”

“Isn’t that what you were looking for when you gave us the ultimatum regarding punishments?” Celeste asked. "Why do that if you had gotten rid of it?"

“BWAHAHA!” Monokuma cackled. “I didn’t actually care about any of that. That was just the next motive.” 

“Th-that was a motive?!” Hifumi screamed. “That scared us half to death!”

“Good! Because it got Byakuya to full death!” Monokuma snickered. “Well, I need to get rid of a pesky program. Toodles!” 

The second Monokuma was gone, Mukuro had Kyoko by her throat, pressed against the wall. Half the occupants of the room screamed in horror. “YOU. TALK!” 

“Calm down,” Kirigiri wheezed. Even as unshakeable as usually was, Mukuro's aura, usually cool and calm, was heated, and absolutely terrifying. She couldn't even look at her. 

“IKUSABA, DROP KIRIGIRI THIS INSTANT,” Sakura yelled, pulling the soldier off the detective.

“I should KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!” Mukuro scowled, fighting back against the Martial Artist's muscled grip. 

Sakura shoved Mukuro away, but before anyone else could move, Mukuro pulled her gun and pointed it directly at Kyoko's head.

"WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!" Mondo screamed.

"IKUSABA, I IMPLORE YOU TO DROP YOUR WEAPON!" Taka screamed.

"Explain yourself," Mukuro hissed, not taking her eyes - or her weapon - off Kyoko, "Or I'll blow your head off."

“By all means, go ahead, but if you want answers, you should at least follow me to that bathhouse so I can explain myself.” Kirigiri coughed. She looked around. “That goes for all of you.” 

“W-wait, does that mean we just sent M-Makoto to death when he was innocent?!” Chihiro gasped. "What just happened?!"

“That wasn’t in the rules!” Taka shouted.

“Not. Here.” Kyoko hissed. 

She nodded towards the camera, and everyone understood.

There was a pause as the detective hobbled towards the door. 

“You better come with me,” Mukuro seethed to Sakura.

“What do you mean?” 

“I’m not letting her out of my sight,” Mukuro huffed. “And if you leave me alone with her... you might not like it.” 

“Then I shall accompany you,” Sakura agreed. "I urge you not to test me either."

The soldier and the martial artist locked eyes, neither intimidated by the other, neither backing down. Still, Mukuro would respect the agreement. 

“I think we all want some fucking answers,” Mondo added. “I ain’t gonna sleep right if Makoto didn’t have that coming to him.”

The students all left, and followed Kirigiri as she hobbled down the stairs to the bath house. The walk was long and slow, and once there, she turned to face them all. 

“Before anyone says anything further, I am positive that Makoto is still alive, thanks to Alter Ego’s influence.” She advised. 

“I knew I saw it on that screen!” Chihiro exhaled. 

“Then what was all that about?!” Mondo yelled. “Why the fuck would you set Naegi up like that?” 

Kyoko sighed. “That... requires some explaining.”  
\------  
_Kyoko Kirigiri watched all parties exit the gym, as Monokuma threatened them with a deadline before individual punishments were handed out._

_Once the coast was clear, she left the gym and went to the stairwell, where Celeste was waiting for her._

_“You were right about what you told me.” Celeste smirked. “Raising suspicion among the others. But why would you need to do this?”_

_“It buys me some time.” Kyoko nodded. “I appreciate your help. Now, if you’ll excuse me...”_

_Kirigiri pushed past the gambler, and headed up to the second floor, into the bathroom. There, in the hidden room, she found the tablet and Alter Ego, hard at work. Or so she assumed, with the contemplate look on the copy of Chihiro’s face._

_“Hello Alter Ego,” she greeted._

_Chihiro gave the detective a smile. “Hello Kirigiri! I managed to open some doors for you! But the rest seems a little bit out of my reach! Thankfully Chihiro programmed me to be so aggressive!”_

_Kyoko smiled. “Yes, you’ve done a great job! I wanted to ask if you could do a favor for me.”_

_“Sure, what is it you need me to do?”_

_“I need you to cause a blackout. All the power off in the school. I suspect that Junko is going to set up someone for murder. So I need to get somewhere. But before you do, do you know the plans for the executions?”_

_Alter Ego’s eyes turned into loading symbols. “Yes.”_

_“I need you to sabotage them. By any means necessary.”_

_“That’s... going to be hard. These are so precise. But I can work on them during the blackout.” Alter Ego said._

_“Okay,” Kyoko gave her a small smile. “Give me five minutes, okay.”_

_Alter Ego smiled. “Okay. Good luck, Kirigiri!”_

_Kyoko took off, wasting no time to get to the fourth floor. After the minutes ticked by, the lights shut down._

_Perfect._

_She took the flashlight from her pocket, and made her way to the headmaster’s office, which she knew was locked electronically._

_Once inside, she smiled, easily rifling through her father’s desk and finding his master key and master keycard. A powder - dust, most likely - sprang from the drawer as she pulled it open, causing her to cough, but she was otherwise able to find everything easily. “Checkmate.”_

_“Well, well, well... consider us whelmed.” Said a queenly voice from the door._

_Kirigiri whipped around to see Junko staring at her, with a flashlight clipped to her shoulder. “So you’ve shown yourself.”_

_The detective stepped towards Junko, but the analyst quickly raised a gun towards the silver-haired girl. “Yeah, no, this is what I mean. I'm not overwhelmed. Or underwhelmed. Just... whelmed. This is completely as expected of you. A boring, predictable plan.”_

_“It’s merely the most logical choice.” Kyoko replied, calmly. She’d had guns pointed at her before, and she wasn’t going to let this scare her._

_“That’s so you,” Junko sighed. “You know the boring part of a detective being in the class? They’re so predictable. You piece together the clues, the red flags, the inconsistencies. You do the most logical, banal thing, to a T, every time. The second you cut the lights, I knew I’d find you here.”_

_“Is that why you took the Escape Button?” Kirigiri asked._

_“Well, fucking obviously!” Junko sneered. “This game is the first bit of fun since the Tragedy stabilized. Now that Future Foundation is trying to get us involved in a power struggle it’s all so... boring.”_

_“It doesn’t matter though. I have what I needed.” Kirigiri folded her arms._

_“And I got rid of your little program,” Junko yawned. “So I can either kill you and get back to my regularly scheduled program, or you can hand those things over, and we get back to my regularly scheduled program.”_

_“You’re not going to do either,” Kirigiri replied, arms folded. “If you shoot me here and now, everyone will know it was you. We’re in a room no one else knew I could access with the power outage. Everyone else still thinks this room is locked. Your whole game revolves around all of us killing each other. The second you kill one of us, you’ve lost.”_

_Junko snorted. “Oh wow. You think I lose in any of these scenarios? You need another couple of Scooby Snacks to get your brain juices flowing. But you’re right, that wouldn’t be very fun for the game.” Junko’s mouth twisted into a smile. “I have more creative ways of getting rid of you. That might break the lot of them.”_

_“What’s that supposed to mean?”_

_“Catch.”_

_Junko tossed a small item at the detective, and slammed the door to the headmaster’s office behind her. As Kyoko snatched the item, she recognized it as a magazine for a handgun._

_But that wasn’t all, she realized as she looked down at herself._

_The power that had hit her as she opened her father’s draw._

_Gunpowder._

_She was being framed._

_She rushed down the stairs, trying to find Junko, trying to stop her._

_When she got to the second floor, she heard gunshots. When she followed them to the library, she could see a figure on the floor, and used her handbook to see she was too late; Byakuya was dead, and Junko was nowhere in sight._

_She had the magazine clip and the gunpowder on her, and a dead body in front of her._

_She needed to divert the attention from herself. She needed so set someone else up._

_So when she was on the stairs to the first floor, she threw herself down them, hoping someone would be unlucky enough to come help her._


	18. Out of the Trash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko and Mukuro make a trip down to the garbage room to see if Makoto survived

“So... you were framed by Junko herself? And then you fucking framed Naegi?!” Mondo growled.

“I had to quickly get past the investigation and trial portion to keep Junko guessing,” Kyoko explained. “From everything we know, she craves new and unexpected ways to stave off the boredom and cause despair. By pushing things unexpectedly, she wouldn’t help but cave. And Naegi’s been a pain in her side this whole way.”

“How did you know he’d live?” Mukuro asked. Throughout the whole explanation, her gun never moved from it’s position of being pointed at Kyoko’s head.

“What?” Kyoko repeated.

“How. Did You Know. He’d Live?” Mukuro enunciated carefully. “Junko had said that she got rid of Alter Ego.”

Kyoko looked hesitant. “I trusted Chihiro’s ability and Alter Ego’s capabilities. But... I didn’t know for certain.” 

“You PIECE OF SHIT!” Mukuro scowled, stepping forward, though Sakura held her back. 

“I can take you to where he is,” Kyoko added, hastily. “With Alter Ego appearing during the execution, I can wholeheartedly believe he’s fine. In fact... Makoto being alive allows us to poke a lot of holes in Junko’s plans. She’s been caught in a lie. She broke her rules and directly killed Byakuya, and now everyone knows.” 

“Take me to him,” Mukuro said, fuming. 

“Of course,” the detective agreed. “While we go, I need the rest of you to do something, before night time approaches.”

“That’s not a lot of time. What would you have us do?” Sakura asked. 

“Double check that Alter Ego is alright,” Kyoko asked. “I’m positive Junko would have taken it after murdering Byakuya.”

“W-we’ll go right away!” “ Chihiro huffed.

“Do you want me to accompany the two of you?” Sakura asked, eying Mukuro. 

“No. That won’t be necessary,” Kyoko replied.

Sakura gave a hard look to the soldier.

“Provided Makoto is alright, I won’t harm her,” Mukuro insisted. 

Sakura nodded, and the rest of class 78 left to check on Alter Ego. Kyoko and Mukuro looked at each other, and the two departed the bathhouse as well. Kyoko began hobbling on her crutches towards the garbage room.

“I... I never meant for Makoto to get executed.” Kyoko said, staring straight ahead of her.

Mukuro said nothing. She was running on auto-pilot. If she stopped to think...

She thought of the panic-stricken look on Makoto’s face.

The pounding of the crushing device. 

His eyes widening as he fell backwards. 

“To be honest, I saw you had a gun in your skirt when you and Makoto found me. I thought I could... frame you. I thought you would have picked me up. But when Makoto did... I changed the plan. He got the gunpowder on him.”

There was a silence as they slowly approached the garbage room. Kyoko thought, in that time, that maybe Mukuro was too enraged to answer. Until...

“You should have framed me,” Mukuro said, quietly, after a few moments.

“Your gun had a full clip. And I was able to slip the cartridge into -”

“It should have been me,” Mukuro insisted. “I deserved it. I have blood on my hands. Makoto...” She swallowed. “Makoto’s never hurt anyone. He didn’t deserve it.” 

They stopped in front of the garbage room. 

“I’m not happy with myself either. I will have to live with what I did.” Kyoko replied, unable to make eye contact with the soldier. “But, hopefully, his luck was on his side this time.” 

“If it’s not,” Mukuro said in a low voice. “You’ll be hearing from me.” 

“I won’t be so easy to kill.”

“No, if I wanted you dead, you’d have been dead the second Sakura took her eyes off you,” Mukuro replied in a monotone. 

Kyoko couldn’t help but feel a chill up her spine as Mukuro’s eyes met her. She believed the words. She opened the garbage room door, and handed the key to the soldier. “Climb down to the garbage room from that ladder under that floor panel, and the lock for the trash room,” the detective advised. “But I need the key back when you return.”

“You can have it back when I come back with Makoto,” the soldier replied. “Consider it as collateral until I know he’s okay.” 

Kyoko frowned. “I suppose that’s fair.” 

Mukuro nodded, unlocked the floor panel, and began to climb down into the darkness of the basement of Hope’s Peak. Dim lights illuminated the long tunnel down, and she found herself a story or two below the school. A short hallway separated her from a large door. “Weird set up for a trash bin...”

She opened the door with bated breath...  
\------  
Makoto dug through another pile of garbage, holding his breath, trying to find something to get out of the trash chute. “Maybe this was my execution. Death by putrid smells.”

Nothing of use. Or at least that could be used as a lockpick. Not that he even knew how pick a lock, but it was better than doing nothing, he supposed.

He made his way out to the center of the room. He’d been at this since trying the door, with no luck whatsoever. “Guess my luck ran out when I didn’t get crushed...”

He made his way to the next pile, when he froze.

He heard the doorknob click, and the door out of the trash room opened. 

He held his breath, worried that it was perhaps Junko or a Monokuma come to finish the job. 

But instead...

“Makoto...?” 

Mukuro Ikusaba looked at him from the doorway. From as far away as she was, her eyes looked large and watery as she stared at him.

_Are they getting bigger? No, she’s just getting clos-_

His bewildered thoughts were interrupted as Mukuro tackled him to the ground, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him wildly. 

Makoto’s brain was fried for a moment as he was swept up in the moment. In that time, it was just the two of them. He didn’t have to worry about Junko. He was alive. Mukuro was here. They were making out. It was the kind of life he wanted once they escaped, sans the mountains of garbage.

Then, Mukuro pulled away, and smiled down at him. As he got lost in her eyes, in her presence, she pulled him back into reality as she said, “You smell terrible.” 

He couldn’t help but burst out into a fit of giggles. As soon as he did, Mukuro did too. The two of them sat there laughing, and it turned into crying happy tears. They laid there for a minute, just laughing and crying into their embrace of each other.

“Yeah, well, falling into a mountain of garbage will do that to someone,” Makoto snorted through his laughter. 

“Come on,” Mukuro smiled, standing up and extending a hand to help him up. He gladly took it as she said, “Kirigiri apparently has a plan. And I imagine you have some choice words for her for framing you.”

“What happened with that?” Makoto asked, his facing becoming serious. “It was all so quick...”

“Well...” Mukuro sighed. 

She explained to Makoto the story Kyoko had told the others. Her framing, her request of Alter Ego, her encounter with Junko...

“And here we are,” Mukuro finished. “It took... a lot of willpower not to hurt her.”

Makoto’s face softened. “I’m... glad you didn’t.”

“Well... I knew you wouldn’t have wanted it. And Sakura helped.”

“Still,” he said, looking up to the ceiling. “So Junko’s breaking the rules of her game?”

“It’s falling apart around her,” Mukuro replied. “With you remembering, with Alter Ego hacking into the door mechanisms. She wants to throw us off and regain control of the plan. A power struggle is exciting for her. These unexpected hitches in her plan... it staves off the boredom. So making the detective backpedal and stab you in the back? She loves it.”

“Well, we have to fight back then.” Makoto regained his determined look. “Let’s get out of here. But first, I need a hot shower.”

Mukuro laughed again. It was music to Makoto’s ears; not long ago, he didn’t think he’d ever hear it again.  
\------  
Kyoko waited, patiently, by the floor panel. Either two people would be coming up to greet her... or her life could be ending very, very soon. 

She heard some footsteps below, and heaved a sigh of relief when it was coming from two sets of people.

“Makoto, wait,” 

The detective could very faintly here the soldier’s already quiet voice.

“What’s up?” 

And there was Makoto. It was good to hear him alive and well, and she felt a warmth in her chest. Relief? Happiness? Maybe both.

“I want you to take this.”

“I-I’m not comfortable with guns, Mukuro.”

“It’s not a gun. It’s... I grabbed this for you so you could wear it to protect yourself.”

Kirigiri leaned down to try and figure out what they were saying.

“Oh, this is just like...” Makoto began, but she couldn’t catch the rest of his sentence.

“Yeah, you put it here... and you use it like... that.” 

The detective heard a small noise.

“Whoa!” Makoto exclaimed. “Are you sure it can’t go off accidentally?"

“The pressure is very precise.”

Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows.

“Are you sure you want me to have this?” She heard Makoto ask. “I don’t... want to hurt anyone.”

“Makoto, I almost watched you die today. Please take this. I need to make sure you have something on you to protect you if I can’t.” 

The detective could hear the sound of...  
\  
...kissing?

A new pang of guilt hit her. She nearly got Makoto killed after he’d established a romance. A cold move, even for her.

She’d extended her own time in the game, but this could have ended very, very badly.

“Okay,” she heard Makoto say, “I’ll keep it.” 

Kirigiri backed away as she heard the two climbing up the ladder. Even after hearing him, she felt a wave of relief wash over her as Makoto’s scruffy hair emerged from the floor. He stood up, turned and offered a hand to Mukuro as she climbed out of the ladder, and the two of them stood face to face.

“Makoto... I’m... I’m sorry.” Kyoko said, forcing herself to maintain eye contact.

It amazed her, and Mukuro, that he was able to respond, in kind, by smiling at her. “It’s okay Kirigiri. I forgive you.” 

“It’s... it’s not okay though.” She insisted. “I nearly got you killed.”

“I... I know.” He replied. “Mukuro explained everything to me. Junko’s the one breaking the rules and forcing hands. She’s who we need to worry about. You can make it up to me after we leave, okay?”

Kyoko gave him a faint smile as well. “Okay. I can do that. We have a deal.” 

“Good. Now, for the real problem, how long before Junko figures out I’m still alive, and what’s the plan?” Makoto asked.

“I have an idea for how we confront her in the morning,” Kyoko advised. She turned to Mukuro. “Can he stay in your room for the night?”

“After what happened, I’m not letting him out of my sight,” the soldier answered, bluntly.

Makoto blushed, and the detective couldn’t help but smirk. “Very well. I’ll see you both in the morning.”

She hobbled her way out of garbage room. As soon as she did, Mukuro grabbed Makoto’s hand and pulled him out as well, towards her room. 

“Come on,” she told him, “We only have a little while before the shower’s turn off.” 

“Yeah,” he sighed. “We’ll both want to get in there after being in the garbage room.” 

Mukuro stopped in her tracks, her entire face turning scarlet at this words. 

“I-I d-d-didn’t mean it like that!” Makoto assured her. 

They walked, hand in hand to Mukuro’s room in silence, both blushing radiantly at the thought. Still, they were both able to take their own (separate) showers, and Naegi sat down on the bed, Mukuro sitting next to him. Just as they did, Monokuma’s night time announcement played.

“Whomp,” he said as he fell back onto the bed, giving the impact of his back on the mattress it’s own sound effect. 

Mukuro snickered a little. “Whomp?”

“Yeah... it’s something Komaru and I used to do - that’s my little sister.” 

“What’s she like?” Mukuro asked, turning and looking down at him. “My only frame of reference for little sister’s is... well, you know.” 

“Right,” Makoto said, giving her a sad smile. “She’s... well, she’s a total dork, but... well, I couldn’t imagine growing up without her, you know? One time, when we were little kids, some kid at the park took her juicebox. I tried to get it back for her and I got the snot kicked out of me. And then! She had the nerve to pick on me for it!” 

Mukuro laughed again. “That... that sounds just like you though.”

“Yeah... but, like I dunno, if I ever got really hurt, she was the first one to get worried about me and help patch me up.” Makoto continued. “I guess we’ve always been looking out for each other.”

The soldier smiled. “That... that actually sounds very sweet. She sounds lovely.”

“Yeah... I hope she’s okay...”

Mukuro reached back and grabbed his hand. “Well... when we get out of here, let’s look for her, okay? I might have some ideas. I can’t promise anything, but we can try Towa Town. I think I heard about some survivors there.”

He smiled up at her. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.” He stared up at the ceiling and his face fell. “So... speaking of sisters... was growing up with Junko always like that?”

Mukuro shifted, a bit uncomfortably. “What do you mean?” 

“Well... where she called you a disappointment?” Makoto asked. “To be honest, I don’t really know much about your life before you went to Hope’s Peak. You know, other than being a wolf in Fenrir.”

Mukuro stared up at the ceiling too. “It was... it was much, much worse. And to be honest, I just thought that was how life was normally going to be for me. I grew up fully believing I was a fat, ugly, useless piece of nothing, because that’s what she told me every day. It’s why she sold me to Fenrir when I was ten.” 

“She SOLD you to them?!” Makoto asked, sitting up. “That... that’s horrible!” 

Mukuro shrugged. “It’s how my talent really came to light. I can’t say it didn’t work out in some way.”

“Jeez...” Makoto replied, laying back down. “I’m sorry to say... I don’t think she was a very good sister.”

“Perhaps not...” Mukuro replied. “Even still... I still love her. Is that... strange?”

The two laid there, staring at the ceiling as he pondered the question. “I don’t... I don’t think so. Even if she was horrible, she was all you had growing up. That stuff is really complicated. You have every right to hate her, or be mad with her... but I can see why you wouldn’t.”

“I’m... I am mad with her,” Mukuro replied, realizing it herself. “I don’t think I really ever was until I met you. You... treated me with real kindness. You treated me so caringly, and I think I began to see what was wrong with how she behaved.”

The two looked at each other and smiled, as their eyes met. Makoto felt his heart skip a beat. If all that came out of his memories being retained was that she made that realization, maybe he’d done something right. “I’m glad, Mukuro. Anyway, I can’t take your bed again. It’s not fair. Are you sure you don’t want me to sleep in the tub?”

She shook her head. “N-no. I’ll take a chair. You’ve had a pretty rough day, all things considered.” 

He nodded and held his eyes closed. After a moment or two, the soldier noticed he was shaking a little. “Makoto...?”

“Sorry,” he said, voice cracking. “I’ve uh... been trying not to think about what happened.”

“Hey,” she said, sternly, laying down next to him and propping her head up on her elbow. “You don’t have to hold that in... what happened today was awful. Do you need to talk about it?”

He shook his head. “N-no, I don’t want to talk about it but...” His voice wavered, and he held his eyes shut tightly again.

“If... if you need a shoulder to cry on, I have some strong ones right here.” She assured him. “Come here...” 

She pulled him in for a hug, and the dam broke; Makoto sobbed harshly into her shoulder. She tightened her embrace and rubbed his back, soothingly. “It’s okay, Makoto. I won’t let anything happen to you again.” 

He stayed like that for a minute, finally allowing his mind to playback the day’s events. He had switched to autopilot to protect himself, but now that he was allowed to sit and process what happened, he couldn’t help but let his emotions out at his near-death encounter. After a bit, he calmed down and pulled away, rubbing his eyes on the sleeve of his hoodie. “Thank you, Mukuro. Sorry to be so weak.”

“You’re not, Makoto,” She said, smiling as she looked in his eyes. “It’s not weak to feel these things. You... you’re actually very in touch with your feelings and you’ve been processing them - and everyone else’s - in a healthy way for the last year plus. I admire that about you. I... I’ve had no idea how to deal with emotions. I was never equipped to do such a thing. In battle, you, at best, suppress them. Junko only ever needed me to suppress anything that wasn’t complete loyalty or worship of her. Those were the only things I felt. I thought that was love, caring. It wasn’t until I got to know you here that I even felt those things. Kindness, compassion, guilt. You saved me.”

“I... I wouldn’t say that,” Makoto replied, blushing furiously.

“No, I mean it,” Mukuro said. Her quiet voice was a bit louder now. “If not for you, I would have stayed firmly attached to Junko’s hip until it killed me. You treated me with kindness. With care and concern. I wouldn’t be here if not for you. And besides that. You... you let me have weaknesses. You let me feel, and be something other than a soldier. And I... I don’t feel bad about it anymore, or like I shouldn’t.” 

“Well, I’m glad for that.” He said. “I don’t want to have to rely on you all the time in this relationship. I want to be strong for you, too. You can be whoever you need to be with me.”

She blushed. “Thank you for that... but... are you saying this is, indeed, a relationship?”

Makoto’s face burned scarlet. “W-well, I-I-I just meant-”

The soldier laughed. A full laugh, that sounded unfamiliar to even her ears. “I’m just teasing. That’s the sort of thing that should wait until we’re out of this school, right?”

He relaxed a little. “R-right.” 

“Well,” she said, sitting up. “We should sleep. Whatever the detective has planned for tomorrow surely won’t be easy. Nothing with Junko ever is.”

He sat up next to her. “Okay... good night Mukuro.”

She leaned in for a kiss, which he was glad to reciprocate. “Good night, puppy.” 

As she sat on the chair, she slouched back against it, glancing up as Makoto covered himself and rolled onto his side. 

After some time, Mukuro nodded off, but awoke not long after. She was a light sleeper, as many people in Fenrir had been. She heard noise coming from the bed, and walked over. In the dark she could see Makoto shaking in his sleep. 

She frowned. She hadn’t expected sleep to be easy for him; brushes with death never were, and she’d known a few soldiers who took days to sleep again after one. 

Even more...

“I almost lost you,” she whispered, stroking his cheek with her hand. 

Makoto rolled over in his sleep, mumbling something. 

Mukuro glanced around the room, and decided it wouldn’t hurt to just lay down in the bed and hold onto him. Make sure he was really there. She should have predicted that she’d fall asleep spooning him.


	19. Hide and Seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confronted with her failures, Junko offers class 78 one last game.

The next morning, Makoto and Mukuro walked into the dining hall a few minutes after everyone else. Thankfully, Kyoko had already warned everyone of what happened, so he didn’t have to deal with anyone yelling or proclaiming he was a ghost. Instead, Sakura smiled to him and said, “Glad to see you again, Makoto.”

“Yeah, same with you. All of you,” he replied, gesturing to everyone in the room. 

“So what is this brilliant plan of yours, detective?” Celeste asked. “Other than gambling on Naegi’s life?” 

“Well, the first part is simple.” Kyoko smirked. “MONOKUMA!” 

Everyone jumped as she screamed for the headmaster. 

“WHAT WHAT WHAAAAAT?!” The bear yelled as it appeared from nowhere, clearly aggravated. “You kids are just so damn needy and...?”

The bear looked over at Makoto and did a double take, which looked especially silly when one considered it was coming from a stuffed bear. 

“HEY WAIT A MINUTE!” Monokuma growled, “I KILLED YOU!”

“Yes, and the fact that you just now saw him confirms two things,” Kirigiri replied. “Though I’d love to hear it from you.”

“And what would those be, before I re-execute the boy with the dumb hair?!” 

Makoto gulped and Mukuro stepped in front of him.

“One; the fact that you just now saw him means that your surveillance cameras have stopped working,” Kyoko smiled.

“...” 

The bear was silent and turned away for moment, as if to contemplate. It turned back towards them all, fuming, “DAMN IT! Yes! Whatever pesky bug you infected my system with is persistent!” 

“I thought so,” Kyoko smirked. “Which brings me to my next point; you falsely executed Makoto yesterday as the blackened because YOU didn’t know who the killer was.” 

“WHATWHATWHAAAAT?!” The bear replied, “That’s preposterous, he had all the evidence on him -” 

“Evidence I planted,” the detective retorted. “Makoto was innocent. I only made him look guilty to throw you off. Admit it, you didn’t catch the murder on camera.” 

Makoto bit his tongue. Kirigiri had made it clear it was Junko herself who had committed the murder, but he dare not say anything. She clearly knew what she was doing. 

Monokuma turned his back on them all. 

“You’ve really ruined this game, headmaster,” Celeste said, pleasantly, “Any game must have rules.”

“Yeah, using cheat codes is fun for a bit, but then it just sucks all the fun out of a game,” Hifumi added.

“Aw shaddap!” Monokuma grunted, turning around again. “Why should I play fair if none of you are going to?”

“Because this is your game, not ours.” Makoto said, a fire lighting in his gut from nowhere. Everyone was surprised to hear him speak out after what he’d been through. “Your whole plan, Junko, has been to broadcast to the world that you could use despair to snuff our the last Hope in the world - us. But you can’t! You had to cheat!” 

“What’s it matter?” The bear sneered. “They can’t see it now, thanks to you, anyway.”

“Oh, they can,” Chihiro replied, quietly. 

“WHAZZAT?!” Monokuma growled, brandishing it’s claws. The programmer let out a squeal and hid behind Mondo.

“Chihiro and I only made sure the security feed wasn’t getting back to you,” Kyoko answered, with a smile. “The outside world has been watching you failures yesterday the whole time.” 

“GRAH! DAMN IT!” Monokuma said, kicking a table next to him. His foot squeaked. It would be adorable under other circumstances. 

“Your whole despair plan failed!” Makoto declared, pointing straight at the bear. "You lost control the minute you started!"

“No no no!” Monokuma replied. “If I’m going to fail, I’m going to fail in despair, not in disappointment. I don’t need to remind you that five of your firneds died all on their own. So what if I helped with one?”

“Well, we don’t expect you to just let us go,” Kirigiri said, folding her arms. “But it’s clear you’ve lost control of the game. Perhaps we should engage of some sort of... winner takes all arrangement.” 

“I-I don’t know if I like those kind of stakes,” Hifumi grumbled, though no one really paid him any mind. 

Monokuma was silent for a minute. Then, he clutched his face and began to giggle. “Puhu...puhuhuhu!” It turned into a full belly laugh. “BWAHAHAHAHA! You guys! What a wonderful idea! I love it!” 

“Then what are the terms of this game?!” Kiyotaka barked, ready for the challenge. 

“Oh... well, since you guys are clearly so much smarter than me, as you’ve so bluntly declared, all you guys have to do is come into my headquarters and get me!” The bear said, cheerfully. “I’ll open up the whole school so your little bug doesn’t have to do it for you!” 

“That’s all?” Kyoko asked. 

“You just have to come and defeat me!” The bear replied. “That’s it! But don’t think that keycard alone will get you to where I am, detective! It’s going to be a bit more complicated than that!” 

“I would expect no less,” she nodded. 

“Alright! You guys have twenty four hours.” Monokuma waved, cheerfully. “Gooooood luck!” 

With that, he was gone. 

“What are we fucking waiting for?!” Mondo grunted. “Let’s get to the fucking control room.”

“Yes, let’s” Kyoko agreed. “Even if the keycard won’t be enough, we should see what we’re up against. Erm... Sakura, would you mind...?”

“Not at all,” the martial artist replied, scooping up Kyoko in her arms. “To the fourth floor.” 

Makoto turned to Mukuro, smiling. “Come on, let’s go - hey, you okay?” 

Mukuro had paled during the exchange, making her freckles stand out even more. “Makoto, I don’t feel good about this. Things are never what they seem with Junko.” She grabbed his hand tightly. “She has a plan, and any plan of hers brings death and despair with it.”

His face fell. “Oh...well, what should we do?”

Mukuro clenched her free hand into a fist. “Well... we go along with it. But whatever happens, I have to be the one to face her.” 

“What... what do you mean?”

“I understand what she’s like,” the soldier explained. “So I have to be the one to end it. I can’t predict what she’s going to do, but I’m the only one here who can handle her.” Despite that she had paled, she was giving Makoto the same fiery look he had gotten earlier. Makoto, having never seen that look on her before, couldn’t help but blush. “Let’s stop her! We have to!” 

Makoto nodded. “Yeah, that’s right!” 

The two joined the rest of the class, the remaining nine of them heading upstairs. At the fourth floor, they approached the Monokuma door. Half-expecting that it wouldn’t work, Kyoko swiped her keycard. 

The door opened. 

Surprised, all nine of them piled into the room, taking in the amount of high tech equipment, computers, and a wall of blackened screens in the back. Beeping panels and dimly lit keypads were lined up across the room. Machinery hummed softly, making it apparent that this was the heart of the mastermind’s operation.” 

“Is this...?” Hifumi began.

“Yup,” Mukuro confirmed. “This is her surveillance room. Before you guys hacked the system, she was watching everything you guys did from this room.” She gestured to the rows of machinery. “This controls the food, the garbage disposals, the pool water, the bathhouse... all of the school has been rerouted to this room.”

“That...that’s so amazing!” Chihiro gushed. As everyone turned to look at him in shock, he quickly added. “Er... it would be if it wasn’t being used like this.” 

“Indeed, this clearly took a lot of planning,” Kirigiri answered. “Junko’s killing game certainly required a lot of set up.”

“But she isn’t here,” Sakura said, arms folded.

“Nope,” the soldier shook her head, pointing at the door in the back. “She’ll be in there.” 

The nine of them approached the door, but next to it, a keypad was installed. The panel indicated it would take a four digit code to open the door.

“You don't know the code, do you?” Celeste asked, tenting her fingers under her chin.

“Er... well, no,” Mukuro replied, reach across her chest and rubbing her arm. “That wasn’t there when the killing game started.”

“Well, she opened the rest of the fucking doors, right? That’s probably where any clues are.” Mondo growled. 

“I’ll hit the fifth floor then!” Taka said. “And perhaps my bros shall accompany me?!”

“You know it!” Chihiro and Mondo cheered with him. 

“I... do not wish to be anywhere near what they’re doing,” Celeste cringed. 

“Then perhaps you should come with me,” Kirigiri suggested. “Sakura, I wish to explore the second floor of the dorms.” 

“Very well,” Sakura nodded, picking up Kyoko again. 

“I’ll um... check out the faculty office and some other areas,” Hifumi said, adjusting his glasses nervously. 

“Let’s check the fifth floor, too,” Mukuro suggested. “I have a feeling if Junko left clues, it’s going to be in places she wants us to see.” 

Makoto nodded. “Sure. Lead the way.” 

Kyoko watched as the two of the went off. She’d been meaning to ask the two of them ever since she’d learned of their story.

_What happened to my father?_

She shook her head. She knew he’d had a dorm on the second floor of the dorms. She wanted to figure this out for herself. 

Mukuro grabbed Makoto’s hand when they got to the fifth floor, and pulled away from Taka, Mondo, and Chihiro. “You guys head that way, I want to check the bio-lab!” 

“Absolutely!” Taka barked, excitedly. “Teamwork makes the dreamwork!” 

As Makoto looked back at them, he raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you want them with us?” 

Mukuro stopped outside of a classroom, instead of the bio-lab. As she turned to look at Makoto, he was taken aback by a pained look in her eyes. “I... I didn’t want them to see this. I... I only trust you to see this. At least first.”

“Mukuro, what do you mean?” Makoto asked. 

She looked down, staring at her feet. “Makoto... you remember the Tragedy of Hope’s Peak, right?”

“I mean, I heard about it,” he replied. “I don’t think anyone confirmed it, but after you told me about, it I figured it was... well, you know, Junko.”

“No.” The soldier replied, closing her eyes and looking up. “Not. Just. Junko.” 

He fell silent. He knew what she was inferring. 

“The prototype for the killing game,” Mukuro explained. “It was to test the idea. I held the room at gunpoint and made the student council kill each other. Only the winner was supposed to escape, although there were two survivors. One, was the student council president. The other was... the school’s secret project.”

“Secret project?” Makoto repeated. 

“Yes...” she nodded. “His name is Izuru Kamukura. And... I don’t have time to explain everything about it. But right now, he’s outside of the school. And he’s... I don’t know how to explain it. He’s the most dangerous man alive, and Hope’s Peak created him.”

“This... what does this have to do with this classroom?” He asked, confused.

“Right, I’m getting ahead of myself...” Mukuro bit her lip. “This is...where it happened. It was left as a crime scene by the school and closed off. And then, the Tragedy happened... which is why Headmaster Kirigiri never let us up here when the school got turned into a shelter.” 

Makoto paled slightly. “Wait... so that room, right now...?”

“It... it looks just like how we left it,” Mukuro replied. “After Junko... and I tested our killing game. Junko would for sure want this room explored. To scar these others. So... I just...” She paused, taking a deep breath. The words hitched in her throat. 

Seeing her struggle, Makoto reached out and grabbed her hand. “Hey... I’m not going to judge you, okay?”

Mukuro looked away, guiltily. As usual, he’d seen right through her. Showing him was hardest because of how close they’d become. She still couldn’t help but worry he wouldn’t want to be around her after seeing. “Are you sure?”

He nodded.

“Okay...”

Without another word, Mukuro threw open the door to the classroom, and the stench of death and rust hit both their nostrils. 

“Gah!” Makoto cried, covering his nose. “No kidding about not touching it...” 

As he walked in, he tried his best not to look horrified, for Mukuro’s sake, but the walls of the room were absolutely covered in blood, all of which had rusted over time. It was now a dark grey-ish orange. While no bodies were there, five chalk outlines of where the bodies were found were still etched into the floor. Destroyed and ruined desks littered the room, and dust was layered over everything. 

As he scanned the room, he noticed a message had appeared on the blackboard - no doubt freshly put by a Monokuma due to how bright the chalk appeared - that read, “count the outlines!”

“How like her,” Mukuro grimaced. “Counting deaths to get the digit. There are five here...” 

Makoto looked over at her. He scanned her face, noticing an intense anger behind her eyes. It looked like she was just barely pushing it back. “Are you... are you okay?” 

Mukuro closed her eyes. “I’ve been around death my whole life, Makoto. In a way, this is what I mean when I said I thought it was too late for me. There’s... there’s no way for me to get away from who I used to be. There’s no changing the past. This room just places me right in the middle of that.”

It was hard to argue that, standing in a room full of rusted blood and chalk outlines. “Mukuro...”

“It’s not... I’m not a victim like the rest of the Ultimate Despair,” she continued, voice straining. “I wasn’t brainwashed by her video, or broken quickly like the rest of class 77b. I can’t sit here and say I regret everything, because I don’t. It was just... how my life was.” 

“I know,” Makoto said, gently stepping up to her. “But just because it wasn’t the same, doesn’t mean Junko didn’t manipulate you too. Like you told me... she’s been doing this to you for years. This isn’t who you are anymore.” He gave her a supportive smile. “I know you now. You’re better than that.”

Mukuro smiled at him. For the first time, Makoto recognized it as a grin of confidence. “You’re right. I’m not. Come on, we’ve got a digit.” 

The two of them shut the door on the past and head to the bio-lab. Immediately, once entering, Makoto hugged himself, a chill going down his entire being as the temperature had dropped. Immediately, he noticed the wall was lined with sixteen sliding drawer-freezers. The kind you’d see... “Is this... a m-m-morgue?” He asked, teeth chattering.

Mukuro nodded, seemingly not bothered by the cold. “Yes. As you can see, the green lights indicate a freezer is in use for whatever body is there.” 

Makoto looked, seeing the six freezers from the left of the room had lights on. “Sayaka... Leon... Toko... Aoi... Yasuhiro... and Byakuya.” He frowned. “They deserved better than this.” 

The soldier nodded, sadly. “I’m sorry we weren’t able to save them all, Makoto. I know you said... they were all precious to you.” 

He said nothing, staring at the lights.   
\----  
 _“Late again!” Makoto panted, running towards the class building for Hope’s Peak. “If I’m not waking up late, I’m an hour early! Stupid alarm!”_

_His stomach rumbled, as if to chastise the Super High School Level Lucky Student for his repeated tardiness, having missed breakfast._

_“Ah!”_

_Makoto’s head tilted towards the direction of the noise, and he was surprised to see his friend, Sayaka, heading towards the building, struggling with three boxes stacked on top of each other. Without another thought, he charged over to her and was able to catch a box before it fell off the stack and hit the ground._

_“Oh thank goodness,” Sayaka breathed in relief. “I’m really lucky you were here, Makoto!”_

_He grinned. Perhaps his bad luck this morning was bringing her some good fortune, which, if that were the case, were the only times he had any faith in his talent at all. “Glad to help! What is all this, Sayaka?”_

_“Donuts!” The singer beamed. “Aoi talks all the time about that little shop outside of the school, so I thought I’d surprise the class with them._

_“That’s such a great idea!” He gladly took the box, and the two walked towards the door. “You’re always doing such nice things for the class. Like the movie nights and everything.”_

_As the two entered the class, Sayaka managed to smooth talk Taka into letting them off with a warning for being late, but only because it was because they had done something nice for the class._

_As class 78 gathered around the desks of Sayaka and Aoi, Makoto couldn’t help but look around and smile at the happy faces of his friends. Celeste and Hifumi were bickering with each other over some character he was basing off of her. Leon and Mondo were bragging about their muscles. Byakuya was even indulging Toko’s attention. The only one who was just sitting at their desk was..._

_Mukuro._

_He frowned. This wasn’t going to do at all._

_He grabbed one of the remaining donuts, put it on a napkin, and walked it over to Mukuro. “Good morning, Ikusaba!”_

_Whenever he talked to her, she seemed to get jittery. He wondered if it was a side effect from being in battle. “Good... morning, N-Naegi.”_

_“I don’t know if you like this kind, but I didn’t want you to be left out.” Makoto told her with a smile._

_Mukuro gave him the faintest of grins. “That... thank you, Neagi.”_

_“No problem!” He looked around. “It’s really nice when everyone gets along like this, don’t you think?”_

_“Is it?” The soldier asked. To Makoto’s surprise, the question seemed to genuinely be something she had to think about it. She looked around, like he had. “Yes... yes, I guess it is.”_

_“Heeeeyyyyyy Naeggs!” Junko said, suddenly, making Makoto jump._

_Mukuro looked down at her desk, falling silent._

_“Oh, what’s up Enoshima?” Makoto asked._

_“Don’t you think that like, this is totally a good time for a group picture?” The model suggested, flipping her hair._

_He grinned. “Definitely! I’ll go grab the camera.”_  
\------

Makoto shook himself from the memory. “You think the six lights are a digit?” 

Mukuro was busy rummaging through the solitary desk that was in the middle of the room. For a bio lab, it had been pretty cleared out. There was hardly anything in there, save for the freezer, a few abandoned test tubes, and the desk. 

“I would keep it in mind, for sure,” Mukuro replied. “Death and despair go hand in hand, just like with the other clue...” 

“She must have had to do a lot to keep the bodies in here,” he speculated. “I mean, biology labs aren’t usually fitted for housing corpses. Why do this at all? Why not just dispose of them in the incinerator or the garbage room?”

The soldier shrugged. “To be honest, I never questioned it. She might have needed the bodies at some point... possibly to mess with you. All of you. I think we’ve found everything there is to do in here.” 

“Okay, let’s keep looking. Maybe the others had better luck."


	20. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt for the rest of the digits is on!

Kyoko rummaged around her father’s suite in the second floor of the dorm’s, doing her best to hobble around on one foot. She needed the password for his computer.

“If we had our memories, we could guess something that we knew was important to him,” Celeste, suggested, boredly, while fiddling with her hair. She had done next to nothing since arriving, and Sakura was only respectfully looking around, careful not to disturb anything.

Kyoko flinched, internally. She didn’t want to talk about her relationship with the headmaster. It seemed irrelevant, and she had no desire to explain how she detested the man. 

But what the gambler said had given her an idea. 

Hopping over to the computer, she typed in her name. 

And instead of the computer unlocking, a sliding wall panel moved open, revealing his hidden compartment in the wall. 

_Clever,_ she allowed herself to admit. Grabbing her crutches, she went into the hidden room, Sakura and Celeste following. 

The dim lit space was only a third the size of the room, but contained a hidden cabinet with a few mementos in it, and another desk. On the desk was a neatly wrapped present. It was the only thing in the room not covered in as much dust. 

“Someone appears to have left us a present,” Celeste said, tenting her fingers under her chin again. “Shall we?”

“That seems best saved for last.” Kirigiri answered, shaking her head. “I’m sure Junko left it for us, but I want to look around. See if there’s anything odd here or left by the headmaster we can use...”

“Well, if Junko left this, I can;t imagine she’d have left anything useful in here,” Sakura grumbled, looking around. “But by all means, we still have plenty of time.” 

Kyoko went through the small cabinet, pausing as she came across a photo of herself and her father from when she was very young. It stabbed at her insides, and she quickly composed herself. One memento wasn’t going to change years of estrangement. 

She pocketed the photo, looking for any signs of a possible back up exit device her father may have had. As much as she hated to admit it, Jin Kirigiri was clever.

But Sakura had been right; anything useful for escape either had never been there in the first place, or taken by Junko. So, she stood herself in front of the present, and prepared to open it. 

“You may want to stand back,” Kyoko warned. “In case this some sort of trap.”

Respectfully, Sakura and Celeste took a step backwards. It didn’t exactly make Kyoko feel any better with the serene smile Celeste kept on her face.

Kyoko opened the box, and a stench hit her face. It was a smell she was familiar with, but she wasn’t expecting the odor of death to come from a simple box. 

On top of the contents of the box, a note was laid out. In crude, childish handwriting, the letter read, “There are 206 bones in a human body! But only the amount left in the box will tell you what you need!” A picture of Monokuma pressing the button of a remote rocketship was at the bottom. The words, “Big Doo-doo head,” were written next to it, with an arrow pointing to the rocket. 

“Oh my, how gruesome,” Celeste exclaimed, the smile not leaving her face.

“This is unforgivable,” Sakura muttered. 

“There are three bones in this box.” Kyoko said, not turning to face them. “Now please... I need a minute.”

Celeste and Sakura exchanged glances, and walked out of the headmaster’s bedroom. They’d gotten a digit, but apparently the detective had gotten a little more than she had bargained for.  
\------  
Makoto and Mukuro nearly crashed into Kiyotaka, Mondo, and Chihiro outside of the room where the Tragedy of Hope’s Peak took place. 

“There you guys are!” Chihiro said, clearly relieved. “We thought we heard a scream, and got worried.”

“A scream? Where from? Makoto asked. “We didn’t hear anything...”

“We were checking the dojo, but didn’t find anything that could be a digit,” Mono explained. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Turned the fucking place inside out, practically.”

“We believe we found two,” Mukuro said, quietly. “Five in this classroom and six in the biolab... we think.”

“Any idea where else the scream could have come from?” Makoto asked.

“The only place unchecked by all of us is the garden!” Kiyotaka declared, pointing his finger with a dramatic flourish that only the Ultimate Moral Compass could muster. “We saw it but decided to check the dojo first!” 

The five of them ran to the garden, opening the door. It became clear who the culprit of the scream was immediately; Hifumi was kneeling in front of the chicken coop, crying. 

“Aw jeez, what the fuck man?” Mondo asked, walking over to him.

“Yamada, please explain the terrifying scream you made moments ago!” Taka barked.

Hifumi rubbed his eyes, “I-I-I got scared and wanted to be alone, so I c-c-came here and....” He pointed, “look!” 

Makoto looked up into the chicken coop, and recoiled slightly, himself. Five chickens had been mercilessly slaughtered, and in their blood, the number 8 was written on the back wall of the coop. “Gross....” 

“That’s... tamer than I was expecting a clue from Junko to be,” Mukuro said. She looked back at the garbage-disposal plant in the middle of the room. “Then again, I think she’s fed eight people to that plant.” 

“When did Junko feed people to that plant?!” Makoto asked, shocked. 

“That plant eats people?!” Chihiro added, looking like he could faint. 

“It um...” Mukuro rubbed the back of her neck. “It was around the time she killed her boyfriend, Matsuda. There were these eight siblings. It’s a long and complicated story that we don’t really have time for.” 

The boys in the room all stopped and stared up at the plant in silence for a moment. 

“...fuck,” Mondo muttered.

“Well, that leaves us three digits,” Makoto said, snapping out of it and rubbing his chin. “We can double check the dojo, or maybe see if Kyoko was able to find anything in the dorms... How are we doing on time?”

Chihiro checked a nearby clock. “Getting to be around dinner time...”

“That fucking long arleady?” Mondo grumbled. “That leaves until what, like, ten tomorrow?” 

“With how good we’re doing, we’ll be done in time for a good night sleep!” Kiyotaka replied with a hearty laugh.

“Who could even get a good night sleep tonight?” Hifumi grumbled. 

“Well, let’s take a food break, and meet up with the others,” Makoto suggested, his stomach rumbling as he did. “We’ll need to keep our energy up if we’re going to confront Junko before this day’s over.” 

Everyone nodded along in agreement, and the six of them left the garden, making sure to take a wide path around the carnivorous plant. 

Down at the cafeteria, they were surprised to find Celeste there, indulging in some tea, sitting at her usual spot like today was just any other ordinary day. “Ludenburg! Why aren’t you accompanying Ogami and Kirigiri as previously discussed?!” Kiyotaka demanded.

“The detective requested some space when investigating the headmaster’s private dormitory. I imagine there is some sort of connection she didn’t care to indulge me with.” Celeste replied, not looking up from her drink, nor sounding at all bothered by being dismissed. 

It struck Makoto he hadn’t revealed to everyone that the headmaster had been Kyoko’s father. He shifted, uncomfortably.

“Did you guys find anything?” Mukuro asked. 

“Oh yes, a clue left with the headmaster’s remains gave us the digit, ‘three.’” Celeste said, casually. 

Makoto flinched. He’d suspected that the headmaster was dead from the moment the killing game began, but the fact that his remains was used as a clue was particularly morbid. Next to him, he noticed Mukuro shuffle her feet, awkwardly. _How had they never talked about that?_

“That’s all four fucking digits, right?” Mondo asked. “Three, five, six and eight?”

“Yes, but we don’t know what order we would need to put them in,” Chihiro replied. “Even if there are only so many variations, we don’t know what will happen if we put them in the wrong order.”

“Oh, you’ll get electrocuted to death!” Monokuma answered, dropping in from the ceiling onto the table Celeste was at, making her tea spill all over the place; she groaned in annoyance. Hifumi and Chihiro screamed at the headmaster’s sudden appearance. 

“So we only get one shot to enter the code correctly,” Mukuro muttered. “Finding the digits was only the first part of it.”

“That’s right!” The bear cheered. “But I mean, technically, you have nine shots to get the code right if you don’t mind sacrificing a couple people.” He covered his face. “Puhuhu! Come on! Go try and brute force it!” 

“We aren’t sacrificing anyone!” Makoto replied. “What do you want, anyway?” 

“Just checking in! You have been working so hard these last eight hours!” Monokuma said. “Warms my heart to see my students working so hard! I’m sure you’ll figure out the right combination for those digits soon!” 

Without another word, the bear left. 

“Yeesh, a hint would have been nice,” Hifumi griped. “Here I was hoping we were nearing the end of this madness.” 

“I don’t think a hint will be necessary.”

Everyone turned, seeing Sakura carrying Kyoko into the dining hall. 

“Hey... Kyoko, are you okay?” Makoto asked, cautiously. He didn’t want to reveal Kyoko’s relation to the headmaster in front of everyone and open that wound for her, so he picked his words. 

Kyoko smiled, gently. “Even after what I did, you’d worry about me?” 

“He’s pretty good at that,” Mukuro said, squeezing Makoto’s hand.

“I assure you, I’m fine,” Kyoko continued. “I believe the key to this mystery lies in the headmaster’s office. Once there, we’ll find the order these numbers go in, and can confront the mastermind once and for all.”

“H-how do you know?!” Chihiro asked. 

“I was able to hack a little further into his personal computer,” the detective replied. “While most of its contents were wiped by Junko, it revealed another hidden compartment in his office even I had previously overlooked.” 

“God damn, that guy fucking loved hidden rooms, didn’t he?” Mondo wondered aloud. “Probably a bunch all over the damn place.” 

“Regardless of that, we should head up there soon.” Kirigiri advised. “The longer we wait for all of this, the longer Junko has to prepare for this.”

After finishing a small meal - not that anyone had much of an appetite anyway - they all charged up to the fourth floor, eager to see what Kyoko had meant. True to her word, once Sakura set her down inside the headmaster’s office, Kyoko found a small switch on the underside of the headmaster’s desk that opened a crawlspace in the rear of the room. 

“I’ll go in there and check it out,” Mukuro volunteered. 

“Here, take this,” Kyoko replied, fishing a flashlight from one of her pockets. “Be careful.” 

The soldier nodded, and crawled into the narrow passageway, finding a dark, tiled room. She clicked her flashlight on and saw, in the middle of the room, a chair, a noose attached to the ceiling, and etched on the wall behind it, the words, “Last chance to get out!” 

_How very like her,_ Mukuro thought, rolling her eyes.   
\-------  
 _Mukuro woke up on her first day of school at Hope’s Peak without any emotions or strong feelings at all. But this was normal. Junko had been telling her to shut those things off for years, because they didn’t make her happy. And once she had gotten into Fenrir, she found this was a useful skill. The best wolves focused on the hunt._

_She supposed most other teenagers would be nervous about starting high school. Sure, she’s have some challenges at Hope’s Peak, but it couldn’t be any worse than fighting in the Middle East or a Stealth Assassination of a local leader._

_She rolled off her mattress and put on the school uniform Junko had allowed her to get. The clothes didn’t feel right on her at all; but she took solace in at least being able to wear her combat boots._

_As she opened the door to walk down to the kitchen and get some breakfast, a came whipping at her face. Mukuro caught it, with ease, as Junko frowned from across the hall._

_“Good morning Junko,” Mukuro replied, smiling._

_“You fat bitch, I wanted some bloodshed to start my school year!” Junko pouted. After a second, she grinned. “You know, if you think school will be too much, you could always plunge that into your neck. Get it over with now. Last chance to get out of it.”_

_“I’m sure I can handle it!” Mukuro insisted. “I’ll do my best to make you despair at school, Junko!”_

_“Tch. You better.”_  
\------  
Mukuro shook her head. _I hope I’m never that weak again._

On the other side of the wall, different words were etched. “Class room. Biology. Dorm. Garden” She read, lough enough so the others could hear her. 

“That would be...” Makoto thought aloud, “five, six, three, and then eight?” 

Mukuro crawled back through the space, joining the rest of them. “So is that the order?” 

“It’s the best information we have,” Kyoko said, rubbing her chin. “I’ll make the input.”

“Are you sure?” Sakura asked, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. “Should this be incorrect, you would be the one in the best position to reassess the situation.” 

“I volunteer Yamada, as he is easily the most dispensable,” Celeste chirped happily. 

“I can do it,” Mukuro interrupted, before Hamada could argue. “These clues were left by Junko to be found for a reason. She clearly has a twist lined up for whoever opens that door, and I understand her the best.”

“Are you-” Makoto began, but Mukuro cut him off, grabbing his shoulder reassuringly. 

“I’m positive,” she smiled. “In fact, can I ask you a favor?” 

“Anything,” he replied.

Mukuro dug through her pockets, and handed Makoto the key to her dorm room. “Take this, and go to my room. In my top drawer, there are things in there we can use to defend ourselves. Please grab them and bring them for everyone.” 

Makoto made eye contact with the soldier, and for a second, a chill ran down her spine. “Okay. I’ll be back soon. Wait for me, okay?” 

Mukuro nodded, and Makoto, ever trusting, left the headmaster’s office.

As soon as he was gone, Celeste smiled. “You are not nearly the liar I am, Ikusaba.”

“W-what do you mean?” Mukuro asked, not meeting the gambler’s gaze.

“You have no intention of waiting for Makoto,” Kyoko explained. “You’re concerned he would be targeted, him having previously escaped death from Junko’s schemes.”

Mukuro blushed, slightly. “...intuitive.” 

“I mean, I fucking get it,” Mondo rubbed the back of his head. “If Makoto wasn’t sticking his neck out for all of us, how many more of us would be dead?”

“If we are to proceed without Makoto, we should make haste!” Kiyotaka advised. 

Mukuro’s eyes widened. “You all... agree with me?” 

“I understand wanting to protect the ones you care for,” Sakura nodded. “And if anything goes wrong, it leaves someone to pick up the pieces.” 

“That gives me an idea for my story,” Hifumi huffed. “I’ll write it as soon as we’re done!” 

Mukuro looked to her feet. She felt bad for lying to Makoto but...

If something happened to him, she’d never forgive herself. “Thanks guys.”

Quickly, the eight students left for the door with the Monokuma face. Once there, Mukuro walked up to the number pad. 

“Five, six, three, eight,” Mukuro repeated to herself. She turned and looked back at the other seven students in the room. Chihiro, Kiyotaka, and Mondo all gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. Sakura gave her a small smile and a nod. Hifumi and Celeste were staring at the door, ready for Mukuro to take action. Kirigiri even gave her a confident smirk as well.

She had grown so close to Makoto since his memory wipe had failed, but something else had been happening too. Maybe she wouldn’t call any of her classmates friends, but... there was no animosity here. They no longer were avoiding her, or treating her like a threat. 

With a deep breath, she pressed the buttons on the keypad, bracing for an electric shock if they were wrong. 

But no shock came; the keypad beeped pleasantly, and the door slid open. 

Mukuro’s breath held in her throat as her eyes became reacquainted with Monokuma control room. She’d seen it before; the seat with the controls that corresponded with the bear’s limbs, the monitor screens that gave the bear almost three hundred and sixty-degrees of vision around it. 

The problem was, Junko was nowhere to be found in that room. 

“Em... where is she?” Hifumi asked.

Mukuro crouched down and opened the emergency hatch, ready for a knife or ice pick attack... 

But nothing was there. Mukuro and Kyoko looked at each other, panic in both of their eyes.

“If she’s not here...” Kyoko said.

Suddenly, the camera’s in the control room sprang on. All the screens showed the inside of a dorm room...  
\------  
Makoto paused outside of Mukuro’s room, ever so briefly, to catch his breath. He fumbled with her key, and opened the door. 

He stepped inside, shut the door behind him, and turned on the light.

As his eyes adjusted, his heart leapt into his throat, his breath hitched, and his blood ran cold.

Junko Enoshima was sitting on Mukuro’s bed, a Monokuma perched behind her on the drawer.


	21. The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto has a confrontation with Junko. Will either of them make it out alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Early Birthday to Mukuro and Junko! Just for them, a finale to this story!!!
> 
> ...unless you guys want a bonus smut chapter or something

Makoto blinked. 

It was the genuine article; this one didn’t have any cute freckles like Mukuro. 

Makoto opened his mouth to talk, but no noise came out. At his noticeable confusion, Junko grinned, sadistically. 

_Nope._

Makoto turned around and tried to open the door, but the handle jiggled impotently.

“Electronic lock.” Junko said in a sing-song voice. “Only opens from the outside now.”

Makoto turned around and faced the mastermind of the whole operation. The same smile was still on Junko’s face. As she sat cross-legged on Mukuro’s bed, she lifted a hand and beckoned him closer with a finger.

He stayed where he was. “What are you doing in here?”

“A predictable first question,” Junko replied in a queenly voice. “We assumed you’d ask. Think, Naegi. You all were challenged to find me. It could have been anywhere in this school.”

“And we made the mistake of assuming you were still in the control room,” Makoto replied. He put his hands in the pocket of his hoodie as a defensive measure. 

‘Well, have you ever heard the famous quote they say in the comics?” Junko asked. “If you want to hide something from a detective, you hide it right at the end of their big, fat nose?”

“I’ve heard something like that, yeah,” Makoto agreed. _Oh God how do I stall for time?_

“You see, Makootie Patootie,” Junko giggled, holding a stuffed Monokuma in front of her face and mocking the bear’s voice, “I’ve predicted how this whole thing would go! You’d find the digits! You’d find the hidden room. Then my big, stinky sister would send you here to protect you from the big bad boss of the game, Junko Enoshima.” 

“You really are the Ultimate Analyst. Just like you said,” Makoto said, evenly. “This all went according to plan.”

Junko uncrossed her legs slowly, taking delight in how uncomfortable this made Makoto. “That’s just the thing, you tasty little morsel. You haven’t let anything so far go according to plan.” 

“That’s just my luck, I guess,” he shrugged. “The memory erasing procedure didn’t work on me.” 

“Right, of course,” Junko said. “You didn’t get mind wiped. But do you know just how many other plans of mine you’ve gotten in the way of?” 

“Higher than two but less than ten?” Makoto asked, shrugging. “Three? I want to say three.” 

To his shock, Junko howled with laughter. “Oh my God, are you trying to break the tension, Naegghead?” Her smile returned. “You were supposed to, per my calculations, be framed for a murder. But because your memory was retained, you managed not to do that.”

“You knew Sayaka would break first?”

“I FUCKING KNOW EVERYTHING YA DIPSHIT!” Junko yelled, suddenly screaming. “And yeah! Then! Then!!!!! I was supposed to get my disappointment of a sister out of my hair for good! And you just had to get in the way of that too!” 

Makoto’s face fell into an angry glare. “She deserves better.” 

“She deserved the spears, Naeggs.” She sneered. “She’s given bloodier deaths than I have. Or does that get the ahoge in your pants hard?” 

He was able to stay stone-faced at the allegation. 

“And of course, I had to completely re-do the second two motives. I was going to tell everyone about your bed-wetting, but I was hoping you’d get killed if I put a target on your back. But because you ruined the other plan, you couldn’t even get killed right.” 

“I guess that’s why we’re here?” Makoto asked, looking around the room. He didn’t see any weapons like Mukuro had said.

“Can you imagine how much despair it would give the others?” Junko asked, giggling. She hugged herself and swooned. “You escape the jaws of death, only to die at my hand. Oh, the look on Muku’s face. She’d be crushed. And the outside world would see their cute little Ultimate Good Luck die, extinguishing that little flame of Hope you’ve been.”

His eyebrow twitched. “You’re so... full of shit!” 

Junko’s eyebrows raised. “Oh wow. Language from you. Pretty rare.” 

“All this talk about despair and spreading it across the world. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, I never gave up hope in here, and neither did anyone else.” He spat back. "No matter how hard you tried, you didn't break us."

Without warning, Junko threw a knife at his face. He was barely able to duck his head to the left and dodge.

“I. Know.” Junko seethed through grit teeth. 

Makoto looked back at her, shocked. Now, Junko was on her feet. _She means business._

“I was hoping, for that first year, I could hold off on the despair of my classmates until I was ready for the killing game. But no. No one gave up. No one gave into despair. No one wallowed in misery. Do you know why, Makoto?” 

Makoto said nothing as Junko stepped towards him. 

“Because,” Junko sneered. “When Sayaka watched her idol group get gunned down, you stayed by her side for a week. When Leon had a crisis about if he’d ever play sports again, you played catch with him every night for a month. When Toko ran out of ideas, you weathered her insults so she could write something dark. When Hifumi tried to create an original work, you let him bounce ideas off you at every meal. When Yasuhiro tried to scam anyone, you made him remember how close he’d come to the yakuza. When Asahina missed swimming in the lakes and ocean, you’d challenge her to laps. When Sakura missed her dojo, you’d let her train you until you puked. When Mondo missed the open road, you’d help him fix up the old bike. When Chihiro felt weak, you’d do workouts with him. When Taka felt like a failure, you’d make sure he was kept busy to see how well he keeps the class running. Celeste was never want for someone to kill at poker when you were around. You always knew how to placate Byakuya, even at his most angsty. Whenever Kyoko was fighting her dad, you were there to pick up the pieces.”

Junko was now only a few feet from him, pulling at her hair and giggling madly. “And when my sister was supposed to be devoted to me and my despair completely, you planted hope in her heart.”

Makoto met her gaze. “And I’d do it again. All of it. I love all of my friends.” He frowned. “Even you.”

“Oh, that won’t work on me,” Junko laughed. “I love all of you too. That’s why your despair feels so good. Because it’s so personal.” 

“We can help you,” Makoto pleaded. “Please... it doesn’t have to be like this. I don’t want this. Mukuro doesn’t want this.” 

“Ugh... you’re really too nice for her, you know that?” Junko replied, boredly. “What matters is that I WANT IT!”

Before he could try to reason with her further, she grabbed his collar and planted a giant kiss smack on his lips. She then shoved him back, kicked him between the legs, and slashed at his face with her manicured nails. Makoto crumpled to the ground in pain, and immediately Junko had mounted him. She clasped her hands around his throat.

“Do you know how many of my Ultimate Despair wish they were you,” Junko laughed as she squeezed Makoto’s neck. “Straddled by me, choking the life out of them.”

Her laughter began to fill the room as it became harder and harder for Makoto to breath. Panicking, he reached up. He smacked at her face, trying to knock her away, but she held tightly. With all his might, he grabbed at her neck and strained to push him off her - 

SHNICKT!

Makoto’s eyes widened as a trickle of blood his his face. Junko’s hands loosened around his neck, and their gazes met. She opened her mouth and blood dripped down on his face.

Makoto looked at his left wrist and recalled what he and Mukuro talked about when they were leaving the garbage room.  
\-----  
_“Makoto, wait,”_

_Makoto stopped at the ladder that lead from the garbage room back up to the first floor of Hope’s Peak. After nearly being killed in the trial, he was ready to stop Junko. Still, he turned to Mukuro. “What’s up?”_

_The soldier pulled out what looked like a leather forearm guard._

_“I want you to take this.” Mukuro replied. She added, in a whisper, “it has something hidden inside to keep you safe.”_

_“I-I’m not comfortable with guns, Mukuro.” He replied, immediately._

_“It’s not a gun. It’s... I grabbed this for you so you could wear it to protect yourself.” She assured him._

_Without a word, she held out a hand for Makoto’s left forearm. He held it out for her, and she rolled up his hoodie sleeve. She slipped the forearm guard over his left arm, and there was a small banded part that extended into his left palm. Makoto could see there was a hidden slot right under the wrist where a knife was hidden._

_“Oh, this is just like in Assassin’s Creed, right?” Makoto asked. “The hidden blade?”_

_“Yeah, you put it here... and you use it like...” Mukuro pushed his wrist up as far as it would go and pushed the band in his wrist. The knife popped out quickly; it was pressured enough to pierce someone, easily. “That.”_

_“Whoa!” Makoto exclaimed. “Are you sure it can’t go off accidentally? I don't know if I trust myself...”_

_Mukuro shook her head. “The pressure is very precise.” She lowered her voice more. “Unless your wrist is out of the way and you use the exact amount of pressure in the palm button, it won’t activate.”_

_Makoto tested it out a few times. It was easy enough, and he was confident he wouldn’t accidentally hurt himself, but it still made him nervous._

_“Are you sure you want me to have this?” He asked as he rolled the sleeve of his hoodie over it. “I don’t... want to hurt anyone.”_

_“Makoto, I almost watched you die today. Please take this. I need to make sure you have something on you to protect you if I can’t.” Mukuro replied._

_There was a pleading in her eyes he couldn’t say no too._

_“Okay,” he conceded in a whisper. “I’ll wear it. For you.”_

_She leaned in to kiss him._  
\------  
Makoto had forgotten he’d even put the hidden blade on this morning, much less that he would have accidentally triggered it by pushing Junko off of him. With her off balance, he pulled his legs to his chest and kicked her off of him. 

The blade slid out of her neck, messily, and withdrew itself back into the arm guard. Junko herself flew back onto the tiled floor, gurgling as she clutched her throat.

“You...” she choked between coughs. “Had a fucking... knife?!” 

“I’ll... I’ll get help!” He yelled, panicking. He ran to the door and pulled on it, but it was still locked. “Junko, open the door!” 

To his shock, he looked back at her, and she just laughed. As she laughed, blood sprayed out of her mouth all over the floor. “N... no way, Makootie. This is such great despair...”

“Wh... what?” Makoto asked. “But you’re...”

“Dying? Yup.” Junko grinned, blood staining her perfectly straightened teeth. “A slow...miserable death...” She went into a coughing fit, before finishing. “Because you fucking... lucked out again.”

She rolled over, laying face down on the floor. “I’m gonna die...in my sister’s room... killed by her boyfriend...on accident... I hope she has nightmares for weeks.”

Makoto ran to the dresser, looking for some clothes, a shirt, a towel - anything he could use to apply pressure to the wound or stop the bleeding. But it was too late; by the time he found a towel, Junko Enoshima stopped breathing.

He slumped down onto the floor, staring down at the body in front of him.

He killed Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair.

He didn’t know how long it took for the rest of the classmates to get to him. He heard, hollowly, that they had seen the whole thing from the control room.

Makoto couldn’t bring himself to look at Mukuro. Even if she was determined to stop her sister, she must hate him. For all the complicated feelings she had for Junko, she had to hate someone who would kill her sister.

Even as Mukuro knelt down next to Makoto and wrapped him into a hug, he wasn’t convinced that she didn’t hate him. 

All the voices of his classmates sounded echoey and far away as he heard them all around the room. 

After an eternity, the voice of Mukuro snapped him out of it.

“...re you alright?” 

He looked at her and nodded. “I’m sorry,” were the words that immediately fell out of his mouth, and guilt jolted his insides away as he saw that she was crying. 

She held him tighter.

“There was no body announcement,” Celeste said, in monotone. “I guess that confirms it’s really over...”

"Thank fucking god...” Mondo grumbled. 

“But how do we get out still remains to be seen,” Kyoko muttered.

“No,” Mukuro shook her head. “I know.”

The soldier stood up and reached into her sister’s bra, where she pulled out the Escape Button. “She never would have let this out of her sight,” the soldier explained, but her eyes never left the sight of Junko’s body.

“What should we do with the body?” Hifumi asked, nervously. 

A silence fell over Mukuro’s dorm room. Kyoko cleared her throat after a minute. “I believe only Ikusaba is qualified to make that decision.” 

Mukuro nodded, still staring at Junko’s body. “Hifumi, can you unlock the door to the incinerator?”

Hifumi nodded, wordlessly. 

“Thank you,” Mukuro replied, quietly. “You can all come with, if you wish. Or not.” 

“I’ll go, just to make sure the body is disposed of,” Kyoko volunteered. “With how Junko’s planning went, I feel we can’t be too careful.” 

Makoto stood up, wiping his eyes. He didn’t say anything, but it was clear he intended to go as well. 

The four of them - Hifumi, Makoto, Kyoko, and Mukuro, left the dorm, Hifumi going ahead to unlock the incinerator and have no further part in what was going on. It took some time, with Kyoko on crutches, but they arrived and watched as Mukuro set Junko in the incinerator.

“Do you wish to say any words?” Kyoko asked.

Mukuro shrugged, stone-faced as ever. “She was my sister. Despite everything, I loved her.”

With that, she punched the button, and the incinerator roared to life. Junko's body was cremated before their eyes.  
\------  
All the students had decided they would leave in the morning; entering the post-Tragedy world in the cover of night didn’t seem like the best idea. 

Chihiro had taken to the control room, and made contact with an organization called the Future Foundation, who was going to come and get them in the morning, and take them to safety. In turn, Mukuro warned them that their member, Chisa, was a mole for the Ultimate Despair. Chihrio stayed in that room long into the night, Kyoko assisting him in planning what they would do once with the Future Foundation.

Hifumi, Celeste, Mondo, Taka, and Sakura were packing any goods that were nonperishable to take with them, in preparation for the journey.

It was unspoken that everyone agreed to give both Makoto and Mukuro space; Mukuro for whatever complicated feelings she was dealing with, and Makoto, to process what had happened.

After what had happened in her room, Makoto took Mukuro’s hand and brought her to his, repaying the favor she had done for him already, so many times throughout what had happened. Once in his dorm, Mukuro watched Makoto sit down on his bed, his eyes hollowed and empty. 

She had taken so many lives in her time. But she had seen rookie soldiers have the same look on their face as he had. The horror that was displayed when they took their first life. 

The same look Sayaka had when she killed Leon.

As she sat down on the bed next to Makoto, he said, again, “I’m so sorry, Mukuro.”

She grabbed his hand and looked down at their feet, next to each other. “You have nothing to apologize for. I gave you that blade because I was worried she’d come for you.”

“I never wanted to use it,” the boy replied, putting his head in his hands.

“I know... but, I know Junko too. That’s why I tried to send you away... I guess she saw through that too though,” Mukuro admitted. 

They stayed quiet like that, next to each other. 

“You must hate me,” Makoto sighed, voice cracking.

Mukuro finally looked up, turning to him. “Why would I do that? I was fully prepared that I would have to be the one to kill her...”

“Even so... I killed your sister. You loved her.” 

Mukuro cupped Makoto’s cheek and turned his face towards hers. “I do love her. But...”

She looked in his eyes, which, despite being red and puffy from crying, were still the most beautiful things she’d ever seen. “I love you, Makoto. More than anything. I’m glad you’re okay.”

She closed the distance between them, kissing him once again. After a moment, he reciprocated.

“I love you too,” he said. 

“I never thought I’d hear you say that,” she smiled. “I never really thought I deserved you.”

Makoto allowed himself a chuckle, despite how emotionally tumultuous his day had been. “Mukuro... remember when I fell out of that tree in our first semester?” 

She nodded.

“I’ve had a crush on you since then,” he admitted to her. “You told me a few days ago you didn’t want me to be anyone else but myself. I thought that about you too. I always have.” 

“Then do me a favor,” Mukuro replied. “And don’t beat yourself up about this. If you hadn’t triggered the hidden blade, Junko would have killed you. You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“I’ll try,” Makoto sighed. “Besides, it sounds like we’re going to have to a lot to do in the Future Foundation, from what Chihiro said.” 

The soldier nodded. “Yes... the rest of the Ultimate Despair is still out there. And they’re going to be none too happy with the students who stopped Junko.” 

“I guess I don’t have to worry about employment opportunities,” Makoto joked wearily.

Mukuro giggled. “Nope. But for now...” She laid back on the bed. “Whomp.”

Makoto snorted. He laid back with her. “Whomp,” he repeated.

The two turned their heads and looked at each other. Mukuro smiled at him again. “You know... whatever’s out there, Makoto... I know you’ll get through it.”

He smiled back. “No. We’ll get through it. Together. Okay?”

She rolled over and kissed him. “Deal. Let’s worry about that tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Not tonight.” 

The two kissed again. To Makoto’s surprise, Mukuro’s hands became... adventurous. They explored his hair, gripping and pulling at it. They traveled down his body as well. Shakily, he allowed his hands to run across her back.

Without warning Mukuro threw her leg over Makoto, and he found her straddling him. She grabbed his hands and pinned them down over his head, kissing him a little more forcefully.

“Mukuro...” he moaned out.

She pulled back and looked at him. “What? Don’t you like it?”

The question was rhetorical; the bulge she was feeling between her legs was all the proof he did.

“I do but...” He gulped. “Are you sure...?”

She smiled, and leaned down, kissing his neck. She felt his back arch, pushing him and his hips against her. “It is. Believe it or not... I feel free. Do you...” She sat up, a look of nervousness on her face. “Do you want this?”

He looked her in the eyes for a moment. “Y-yes. I do.”

“Puppy... Are you sure?” She asked, once more. “This is what you want? Not... anyone else? Not anyone... kinder, or prettier or-” 

To her surprise, he pulled her back towards him, kissing her neck. She moaned before she could stop herself. 

“It is,” he whispered into her ear. “I love you. I want you.”

 _Guess she was wrong about this_ , Mukuro thought to herself as she reached down to pull Makoto’s shirt off of him. _What are the odds?_


	22. The Bonus Smut Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all wanted it, so here it is. THE BONUS SMUT CHAPTER

“It is,” he whispered into her ear. “I love you. I want you.”

The small consent was all Mukuro needed. Weeks ago, she was fully convinced no one would actually want her. So to hear that Makoto, her Makoto, wanted her… just sent a wave of heat over her being. 

She responded to his whisper by nibbling his ear lobe, drawing a low moan from his throat. She moved her mouth southward, covering the side of his neck with gentle bites, sucking on his neck. Makoto's chest rose as his breath shuddered. Mukuro finally released his hand, and they immediately found their way to her lower back. 

Mukuro could feel his hands shake, both from anticipation and nerves. He was contemplating touching her butt. Forcefully, Mukuro reached back and placed one of his hands on her ass as she continued to kiss his neck. With the permission made clear, Makoto moaned as he squeezed her firm ass in his hands. 

Mukuro moaned too; she had dreamed of Makoto's hands all over her for a long time. She wanted more. "Spank me," she breathed into his ear.

He hesitated, but did as she commanded. At first he gave a medium effort. He pulled her skirt up and gave her backside a solid smack. Mukuro gave a small grunt of satisfaction against him. "Harder!"

"A-are you sure??"

"Harder!" She commanded, more forcefully.

Makoto obliged. He was surprised how arousing it was for Mukuro to take control and tell him what to do. He smacked the soldier's ass again, the noise reverberating around the room. 

"Mmph!" She groaned into his chest. "Again!"

SMACK!

Mukuro groaned excitedly and sprang to his mouth, kissing him more forcefully, reaching down and pulling his shirt and hoodie up over his head. He scrambled out of it, and shook in pleasure as Mukuro sat up on him and ran her hands over his slender frame. 

Slowly, she began to unbutton her shirt. Makoto reached up, though Mukuro was unsure if it was to help or touch her. She grabbed his hands and pushed them down onto the bed. "Uh uh." She whispered, surprising herself with the low, seductive tone she was taking. "No touching until I say so."

Makoto nodded obediently as Mukuro continued unbuttoning her shirt. She could see his hands tremble, as she opened her shirt, revealing her bra and modest breasts. There was something very powerful about how hungry his gaze was. She could feel the lust in his eyes, accentuated by the bulge in his pants pushing against her womanhood.

She unhooked her bra, grabbed Makoto's hands and placed them on her breasts. Immediately, he began to squeeze them, pinching at her nipples with his fingers. She moaned as the sensation sent pins and needles along her nerves, and the moisture in her panties grew even worse. She grinded herself against his manhood, the feeli ng sending tingles up her spine.

"You're so beautiful, Mukuro," he said.

She smiled, taking a second to drink in just how lucky she felt at the moment. 

She leaned down and kissed him, gently pulling on his bottom lip with her teeth. "Thanks, Makoto."

To his surprise, she began to move her body downward, trailing his body with kisses until she was at his waistline. She could feel his whole body shudder as she unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants. She pulled his pants and underwear down, and felt the heat rise in her face and loins. 

Inches from her face, Makoto's erect manhood twinged in excitement. He looked down, eagerness in his own eyes to see what would happen. 

She ran her eyes up and down it. She had thought of what she would do with his member many times in the last two years. The temptation was too great for her to resist; she grabbed the base of his cock in her hand and licked the length of it. Makoto moaned in ecstasy, which only enticed Mukuro. Once at the tip, she took the whole tip cock into her mouth, sucking on it and moving her head up and down. She could feel Makoto thrust his hips upward, and his body shook. 

“This is mine,” Mukuro declared, as she took her mouth off of it and gave the length of his manhood another lick. “No one else’s.”

“It’s yours,” Makoto agreed, gasping between his words. “I want you to have it. I want you to do whatever you want to it.”

“Oh I will,” she replied, popping it in her mouth and slurping up and down it a few more times before adding, “I’m going to use this to make us both feel really good.”

"Mukuro," he moaned, and she could see his fingertips digging into the mattress as she sucked his cock harder.

She stopped, and smirked up at him. “You want more?”

“Y-yes,” he stammered out. 

The word made her heart race. She usually only felt at her most powerful on the battlefield, but there was another sort of power here she’d never really experienced before. It was giving her a rush, and she wanted more. “Beg me.”

“What?” He asked, looking up, surprised.

“I just... I just want to hear that you want it,” she replied, running her index finger up the shaft of his member. “Beg for me.”

A grin ran across Makoto’s face. There was something exciting for him too, to be in this position, to be taken like this by someone like Mukuro. “Please, Mukuro. I want it. I want you.”

That was all she needed to hear. Standing up, she pulled her panties down from under her skirt, and mounted Makoto. Taking his cock in her hand, she lowered herself onto it, slowly, and slid his full length into her. She arched her back and gasped as his manhood pushed against her walls, bursting her hymen and shooting signals of pleasure up her body.

The blood took Makoto by surprise, slightly, as he looked down. “I was your first, too?”

Mukuro smiled down at him. “Of course.”

He smiled. “Guess I really am lucky.”

 _How does he always know what to say?_ She wondered. She grinned, and leaned down to kiss his neck some more, grinding slowly as she slid herself up and down his dick. 

“Oh my god,” Makoto breathed into her ear as he matched her rhythm with his own hips, thrusting his cock as deeply as he could as she brought her hips back down to his. “It... it feels so good, my fucking god.”

He wasn’t wrong; Mukuro had no idea what to expect from sex, but the sensation was unlike anything she had experienced before. Sitting up again, she placed her hands on Makoto’s chest and rode him faster. Being inexperienced, it took her a second, but she found the angle that seemed to hit all the right buttons inside of her. As she grinded against him, faster and faster, Makoto reached up to grabbed her breasts again. His squeezes became more forceful, his thumbs and fingers playing and pinching with her nipples. She gasped as the excitement sent a rush up her entire torso, fireworks going off behind her eyes. “M-Makoto,” she moaned, “D-don’t stop!”

He did as told, thrust up against her harder as she pushed against him, sliding her walls up and down his cock as hard as she could until her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she squeezed her Kegel muscles in climax. She moaned loudly and pushed against Makoto as hard as she could, gasping as the orgasm made her legs feel shaky. 

“My fucking god,” she gasped, placing her hands on his chest to steady herself. “That was so good.”

Makoto laughed and leaned up to peck her on the lips. “Well, I’m glad. But...” a glint appeared in his eyes as he added. “I want to be on top now.”

Mukuro was a bit surprised to hear that from someone usually so passive. But she smirked. After all, he hadn’t cum yet. “Come and take it.”

To her surprise, he leaned up and kissed her again, more forcefully, and pushed his body against hers to flip them onto their sides. He got up onto his knees, and Mukuro laid on her back, spreading her legs for him. 

To Mukuro’s surprise, he didn’t immediately try to enter her with his cock. Instead, he lowered his body, bring his face to her mound. 

“Wh-what are you doing?” She asked, surprised.

“Th-there are some really informative books in the library,” he answered vaguely. “Let’s see...”

He pulled gently at her outer lips and, to Mukuro shock and pleasure, gently licked up vertically on her clitoris. “Oh fffffuck,” she moaned, stretching both arms out and gripping the edge of the mattress.

 _Oh good, I found it,_ Makoto thought to himself, and began to flick Mukuro’s clit with his tongue, pausing a few times to circle it.

Jolts of pleasure coursed through her entire body. She was convinced Makoto was going to steal the soul right from her body with his tongue. “D-don’t stop. I’m gonna -”

She couldn’t finish the statement before she came again, squeezing her thighs againsts his face. Makoto grabbed her well-toned thighs and squeezed them himself; he’d always been a big fan of her legs. Her entire body tensed up,and to both of their surprise, Mukuro squirted against his chin. 

“I-I’m sorry!” She winced, embarrassed, as Makoto emerged from her pussy. “I didn’t know I did that.”

To her relief, he grinned. “I’m glad I could make you. Now...”

He knelt at her womanhood, and Mukuro spread her legs, eagerly. Makoto grabbed his cock and guided it into her walls, his member sliding in easily for how wet she was. As he re-entered her, both of them moaned as their most intimate parts became reacquainted.

He laid on her, thrusting himself in and out, and like she had done before, began kissing at her neck. Mukuro groaned into his ear as she spread her legs further apart so he could get in deeper. “Makoto, you feel so good. Your cock is so good.”

The words and the breathy way Mukuro delivered them enflamed Makoto’s senses. He gripped onto her snaking his arms under her and gripping her shoulders, focusing his motion in his hips, sliding his manhood in and out of her pussy, the sensation beginning to build the tension in his loins. He could feel his testicles begin to tighten, and his climax welling up his cock. 

“I’m -” he gasped, “I’m gonna cum!”

“Pull out!” Mukuro groaned. “I want to feel it on me.”

The words almost made Makoto go over the edge right then and then. But he managed to pull himself out of her, and took his own member in his hand. As he did, he took another look at his girlfriend, surveying just how good she looked - from her disheveled hair, her breasts, her toned stomach, her thighs - and as he stroked one more with his hand, he exploded. He moaned loudly as thick ropes of cum burst from his cock as moaned, shooting all the way up to her chest and leaving a trail right down to her pubic bone. 

“Holy crap,” Makoto wheezed. “Th-that was...”

“Amazing,” Mukuro smiled. She then chuckled a bit. “Can you um... get me a towel?” 

Makoto’s cheeks tinged pink as he realized he was leaving her there covered in his seed. “O-oh! Right. Hold on!” 

She smiled as she watched him run off to the bathroom, completely nude. She took a good look at his ass and wondered if he’d be ready to go again any time soon. He returned with a towel, and before Mukuro could take it from him, he began gently drying her off. He didn’t notice how lovingly she was looking at him. _He really is a sweetheart._ She thought.

“S-sorry about that,” Makoto added.

“Don’t be. I asked you to do it.” Mukuro smirked. “Come here.” 

Without waiting for him to heed what she said, she pulled him down next to her and nuzzled her head into his neck. Without hesitation, Makoto wrapped his arms around her. 

They laid like that for some time. Mukuro could feel his heart rate begin to slow down as the day’s exhaustion began to wash over him. Before he fell asleep, she felt compelled to say something. “Hey, puppy?”

“Hm?” He answered, sleepily. 

“Thank you.” She said, into his neck. “For always believing in me.” 

“Of course,” he replied, sleepily. “Always.”

Mukuro smiled against her Ultimate Luck and felt him drift off to sleep. Whatever the future would bring tomorrow, whatever the Future Foundation decided to do with her... she felt like she could handle it with Makoto at her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The smut!
> 
> I do plan on getting a sequel out at some point, but it will be awhile. I'm focusing on Deku, God of Thunder. If you're a fan of MHA, check it out!


End file.
